Trailblazers of Equality: Celebrating Women's Advocacy for Social Justice

We must guarantee that every woman has access to the resources and opportunities she requires to reach her full potential.

by Ali Sabry

On this International Women’s Day, we honour the remarkable strength, perseverance, and accomplishments of women worldwide. We also recognise the challenges that women continue to confront, such as gender discrimination, injustice, and violence.

Women have made major contributions to the advancement of human civilisation throughout history. Despite tremendous challenges and prejudice, women have achieved great advances in science, politics, the arts, and literature. Women have made significant contributions to the advancement of medicine and healthcare, including renowned pioneers such as Marie Curie, who pioneered research on Radioactivity and Florence Nightingale, often regarded as the creator of modern nursing.

Palacode, Tamil Nadu, India [ Photo Credit:Deepak kumar/ Unsplash ]

Women in politics have inspired and paved the way for future generations of female politicians, and we need not look further than our own Country where the world’s first female Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike inspired generations across the world. Women have also made substantial contributions to the arts and literature, with works by writers such as Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, and Maya Angelou having far-reaching social influence. Women have also played an important role in advocating for social justice & human rights, playing key roles in movements including those for civil rights, women’s suffrage and LGBTQ rights.

Women’s contributions to the economy are critical for the growth and development of societies worldwide. Women constitute a sizable proportion of the working force, and their efforts contribute to the creation of goods and services that fuel economic growth. Women also play an important role in the family economy, providing unpaid labour such as childcare and housekeeping, allowing others to join in the paid labour force.

We must guarantee that every woman has access to the resources and opportunities she requires to reach her full potential. We have more to achieve, and thus must continue to strive towards women’s empowerment in all aspects of life, from education and employment to political representation and leadership.

Mohamed Uvais Mohamed Ali Sabry, PC, MP also known as Ali Sabry, is a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. He is the Current Minister of External Affairs of the Government of Sri Lanka.