ARDAwomen reflect today on the status of women all over the world and particularly in the developing countries. We recognize the immense and critical contributions that women make daily to the welfare of their families, the development of their communities and societies. Often their contributions are discounted or unappreciated. Women all over have come a long way. Despite obstacles and gender- informed barriers and limits, they have worked within and around every difficulty to keep things together for their families and communities. There’s progress and opportunities for women to become visible and vocal partners with men in developing their societies in many countries, but there is still a lot of work to be done in order to protect the smallest rights of human beings, where women and girls are concerned in some others
We think of women in the middle of crises, be they conflicts, wars, natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, mudslides, fires, droughts and floods. As they struggle to keep their families together with little or no rations, always encouraging and speaking hope to quell the fear rising in the hearts of their children, they who will have no one to minister to their own rising panic will have to breath deeply in order to find the strength within their core to carry on… to just get up and keep going. Sisters we care. We think of you and all you are going through. You are Heroes, each and every one of you. We celebrate you today if not every day.
ARDAwomen celebrate the women farmers of Gwagwada who recently partnered with us to learn how to use ICTs to instigate development and challenge gender inequalities in a traditionally set community in northern Nigeria. Through a small focused project supported by the GenARDIS fund, the strong, honest and hardworking women of Gwagwada surmounted many obstales to show what a determined group of women can achieve in a very short time if they are engaged and given a space to raise their voices above a whisper.
We salute women everywhere and hear your individual and collective voices. We affirm that you have something to say about this world which if heard will change it positively. So we beg you to have your say.
Illiterate and poor rural women farmers gained access to mobile phones, to call in to a radio program on agriculture and adaptation to climate change to find solutions to farming problems. They also participated in social analysis and conscientization through theatre for development. They have since organized and formed farming associations and cooperatives and on the road to improving livelihoods and food security in their community. They have learned also to engage local government elected officials, bank staff and agricultural extensionists.
Data Phido
ARDA, Lagos
Tags: International women's day; ICTs and Women's access, mobile phones and radio in the hands of women., participatory development processes
