The fight for gender equality dates back in history. Today, looking back, we can confidently say that women have made great progress in the fight for equality in all sectors of society.

Despite all the progress that has been made, we, as a society are far from achieving equal rights and creating equal opportunities for women. Across the globe, women are still faced with gender discrimination, gender-based violence, and unequal opportunities in workplaces and education. But the fight is far from being over. Many activist women are still at the forefront of pushing for systemic change and reforms on issues affecting women.

As the saying goes, ‘Women’s rights are human rights’ this means that women are entitled to the same rights are their male counterparts.

In a bid to affirm women’s rights and put an end to gender discrimination, here are some of the fundamental rights that we should all stand for to protect our young girls and women.

We should stand for access to affordable high-quality healthcare. Pregnancy-related deaths continue to be the highest cause of deaths among women. As such, women should also have the right to decide whether or not they want to have children.

Similarly, we should advocate for equal opportunities for young girls to access education. It is said that by educating a girl you educate an entire generation. Empowering women through education is not only good for individual growth but is also good for the economy.

Women being educated also opens doors for them in the work industry. Gone are the days when the role of a woman was confined to being a housewife. The modern-day woman is ambitious and hardworking making them deserving of any job that they qualify for and with equal pay.

To add to this, we must all stand against gender-based violence and sexual harassment. This means putting an end to the rape culture, ending the culture of female genital mutilation, and lastly, ending gender-based violence, against women, either by an intimate partner or otherwise.

Women’s rights remain at risk in the many areas that it is not being addressed. Some of the ways, we, as a generation can help to create awareness on women’s rights in our today’s modern world include.

Being vocal about women’s rights. Your voice matters when it comes to raising awareness. This can be seen by the many feminist activist movements happening across the globe.

Secondly, we should have more women, especially those in influential positions taking up mentorship roles. ‘If she can be it, so can I’. it is for this reason that representation becomes an important aspect. People are more likely to emulate what they see be it on media or in real life. Therefore, young girls, they must get to see the right kind of representation.

We must always remember that women are the backbone of our society; we must celebrate them and lift them in their glory so that we may grow wholesome people.