Accelerate action
On Saturday, March 8, 2025, women worldwide will celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) under the theme #AccelerateAction. This theme underscores the urgent need for decisive steps to achieve gender equality, a key component of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) within the global goals framework. It highlights the slow progress in empowering women and girls globally and calls for accelerated efforts to address this issue.
The #AccelerateAction theme serves as a wake-up call, recognizing that insufficient progress has been made toward realizing gender equality as outlined in SDG 5. This may be attributed to the recurring pattern of superficial commitments made during annual celebrations, often unaccompanied by sustained follow-through. Additionally, awareness of gender equality has largely remained theoretical, a realization that this year's theme seeks to address by advocating for tangible action. While numerous factors contribute to this stagnation, one fundamental truth stands out: achieving gender equality requires collective effort in shaping public awareness, advocacy, and policies that prioritize women's rights, mental health, and holistic well-being.
The Call:
The call to accelerate action also involves reevaluating existing global frameworks—such as charters, laws, and policies—designed to promote gender equality. Despite these efforts, setbacks persist, and inequalities remain entrenched. SDG 10, which focuses on reducing inequalities, has yet to gain sufficient momentum, further necessitating this year's push for accelerated action. By fostering public awareness, advocacy, and policy alignment, we can unite stakeholders and unlock the immense potential of women, driving positive change for sustainable development. This approach will also help dismantle systemic barriers and biases that women encounter across personal, professional, traditional, religious, and political spheres, prompting urgent solutions to these challenges.
The Tripod:
To achieve lasting gender equality, we must address what I term the "tripod" of political, religious, and cultural frameworks. Moving beyond lip service, these areas require continuous attention to effect meaningful change. Women, who constitute a significant portion of the global population and possess vast potential, are often underrepresented or unheard. Yet, in some nations, women have played transformative roles in socioeconomic and political spheres, contributing to societal emancipation.
Timely:
This year's theme is both timely and deliberate—a clarion call to break down barriers to gender equality and reduce inequalities worldwide. By focusing on women's potential and supporting them in unlocking it, we can counter the mental and emotional toll of systemic challenges, enabling them to contribute more fully to sustainable development. Effective partnerships are essential to this process, shaping the mechanisms needed to accelerate progress. #AccelerateAction is a collective responsibility, one that requires everyone to play a role in hastening the pace of change.
Happy International Women's Day 2025 to all women! Together, we can achieve remarkable strides for sustainable development.
About the Author: Coach Ebere Amaraizu is a United States Government IVLP Alumnus, with expertise in the U.S. Judicial System: Protecting Women and Children. A mental health professional and certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) coach, he currently serves as Lead Consultant at Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation/Coli Academy and as the pioneer Chairman of the Rangers International Football Club Foundation.
About the Editor: Reverend Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu is the Executive Director, Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation. He holds a Level 3 Mental Health Diploma. He is a trained Grief and Bereavement Counsellor, Depression Counsellor, Emotional Intelligence Life Coach, and Couple Counsellor. Additionally, he is a SAMHI Dual Diagnosis Practitioner and an International Olympic Committee Sports Administrator.
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