Masud Rana
This year, the theme of International Women's Day 2022 is '#BreakTheBias.' The day comes as an opportunity to commemorate women's successes, strides, and achievements in the past and present across the world. It brings hope for future achievements and marks a call to action to accelerate gender parity.
As we celebrate the day, our thoughts are with all the women who have played a vital role during the Covid-19 crisis by taking extra work burden, caring for the loved ones, maintaining resilience against all odds, and showcasing the leadership that sustains families. Women have been at the forefront since the inception of the pandemic, as front-line and health sector workers, scientists, and healthcare professionals, yet they get paid 11 percent less compared to their male counterparts globally. An analysis of Covid-19 task teams from 87 countries found only 3.5 percent of them had gender parity.
Throughout the world, including Bangladesh, the battle for gender equality has been long and arduous. Today, we see numerous women around us breaking the shackles of the traditional norms and making their way towards their dreams. In the past 20 years, women have achieved immense growth in political, social, and economic progress. Women have marched slowly, steadily, and are gradually reaching great heights, while coming closer to true equality with each passing day.
If we take a look at Bangladesh's fight for gender equality, we will see that women's history is full of trailblazers. Bangladeshi women have long fought for equal footing throughout the nation's history. While some glass ceilings have been shattered, others are in the process of breaking. With decades of activism, women have made hard-won gains across social, economic, and cultural spectrums. Women have left marks on everything from politics to entertainment and music to space exploration, athletics, and technology. After each passing year and new milestones, it gets more evident how this history-making is in relation to the past and how far we still need to go.
All these demonstrate that women are constantly making history worthy of best-selling biographies and classroom textbooks. Someone just needs to write about them. Progress continues to be made. Observing these milestones meticulously in women's history reminds us of the steps still required to achieve true gender equality. For example, it is true that women's active and effective participation in the economy, leadership, and other areas of life drives progress for everyone. Yet, women are still under-represented in public life and decision-making, as revealed in the UN Secretary-General's recent report. Women's economic empowerment is central to realizing women's rights and gender equality. In short, when more women work, economies grow.
Likewise, increasing girls' educational attainments will further contribute to women's economic empowerment and more inclusive economic growth. Education, upskilling, and re-skilling, mainly to keep pace with rapid technological and digital transformations, are essential for women's health and well-being. It is also crucial for their income-generation opportunities and participation in the formal labor market.
When it comes to homemakers, household chores such as productivity activities are not valued by society or families, and unpaid care work does not count in national statistics. Recognition of unpaid care work is now getting global attention and is concretely mentioned in SDG Goal 5 target 5.4, stating: "Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure, and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate." Despite this, there is still a long way to go to implement or attain this target.
However, in this regard, social media and technology have come as a great resort, through which both working women and homemakers are able to feel empowered. When Google looked at its YouTube data to see what ads are resonating most with women, they found three trends: an increase in watch time of business-focused content; a desire to continue learning outside of work through how-to videos; and a preference for advertising that empowers viewers.
Outside of work, women are more likely to view and create content that empowers themselves and others as well. Short video creation and sharing apps such as Likee have curated an innovative platform for both working and women where they can empower themselves and grow together, breaking the tentacles of bias. Women are breaking through all existing barriers to become financially independent, confident, and empowered with the help of this platform.
Social media platform like Likee is supporting women to conceptualize and launch digital content while reinventing their own identities along the way. It has built a community that is safe and supportive and aims to connect women around the world with boundless possibilities. Dedicated to inspiring women across all sectors, Likee is undoubtedly working towards women's empowerment by giving them the recognition they deserve, whether they are employed or not.
Much like Likee, we have seen various other platforms that are brewing with the energy of possibilities for women's growth. Social media influencers like Raba Khan, Dr. Tasnim Jara, Munzareen Shahid, and Dr. Shusama Reza are great examples of women who have utilized the power of social media and technology to make their way to the top. Their contributions to society have impacted people positively and are inspiring many others to break through the shackles as well.
Coming back to the IWD theme of '#BreakTheBias' in a Covid-stricken world, it is quite evident that although we have come a long way, the world, including Bangladesh, requires more effort in empowering women and supporting them to grow in a society that appreciates them fully. The short video industry has been very much in the limelight owing to its precise, short-form videos. Now, short video platforms are creating a secured space for women's empowerment, financial independence, and economic growth.
The writer is the head of business development of Likee Bangladesh.