i written this article not so long ago and would like to dedicate this for mother's day because we women are mothers for our and every children.
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We have the abilities to raise family and nurture our children, care about our environment, work and support each other, everything with unconditional love. So, when women are united for a better place to live and at the same moment, they create a power that has similar function on how this earth cares about human’s need.
Naturally as human we are a social being; we need to interact with others. Through this interaction we are able to unite and form a better and stronger influence.
Unity is a single word but it has a powerful meaning. So when I hear the word of unity in a society, I understand it as a group of people with different backgrounds that are bond together because they share the same interest and live peacefully. However and unfortunately, in today’s world we tend to live under more tensions and predicaments from global warming, terrorism, health problem, poverty to discrimination.
All of these issues are real perils in our society and will present unpromising future for our next generation if we fail to bring positive solutions. Therefore, I believe unity is the key to improve the quality of human’s life.
When women say “together we create a better future”
Men and women, young and old are together hand-in-hand in perceiving a better future. These are done from private to public sectors and intergovernmental to non-governmental organisations. Such co-operations are more visible these days and it also marks our presence as a global community that share the same interest.
In the case of discrimination towards women for example, we can take the UN Women as a concretion of unity. .It is one of the United Nation’s agendas to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide that was initiated last year on July. They also focus on areas such as violence against woman, peace and security, economic empowerment, etc.
In the province of Blitar, Indonesia for example, the UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) - now known as UN Women, helped the drafting of a local law on the protection of women migrant workers. Protection fund to cover legal costs from discrimination as well as the allocation of female doctors for medical examinations to avoid sexual harassment, are both included in the decree to shield the migrant women.
In some parts of Africa, it is mentioned that young women between 15-24 years old have greater risk to be HIV-positive in compared to young men with the same age. In Rwanda, The UN women accommodate HIV and trauma counselling for women who are the victims of sexual violence. This is done by providing assistance to the Association Rwandaise des Conseillers en Traumatisme (ARCT Ruhuka). The UN Women is also partnering with non-governmental organisations, private sector and civil society. Nicole Kidman, a well-known actress is also involved as one of their goodwill ambassadors for the organisation.
This unity through the UN Women’s agenda proofs that people all over the world are together to end violence and tackle problems that women are facing today.
Another top global issue that people are often discussing about is climate change or global warming. Again, we can refer to The UN Climate Change Conference which took place in Bali in 2007. Hosted by the Indonesian government, this event is attended by approximately 10.000 participants from 180 different countries. At this conference, men and women worked together to share their views, discussed current environmental crisis and generated possible solutions to restrain the carbon dioxide levels.
All of this teamwork between people completes the frame of unity that has an important role to achieve optimistic outcomes for some of the problems in our society. It also shows our willingness in creating a better place to live.
Women in modern world
Women’s movement can be dated back as far as in the 18th to the beginning of 20th century. At this stage, the feminists were fighting for women rights to vote and take part in the politic world. On September 19th 1893, Governor Lord Glasgow signed the Electoral Act into law and this has resulted in the emergence of New Zealand as the first country in the world that allows women to vote in parliamentary elections.
Today in a global and modern world, most of us are free to vote. Nevertheless, it is also not uncommon to see women as top leaders, well-known public figures and working mothers.
Women are united in various fields. In health movement for instance with breast cancer as the most feared disease for many of us. In the United States, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has been a pioneer in increasing women’s awareness towards breast cancer issues. Celebrating their 25th year’s anniversary in 2009, the organisation continuously promotes awareness and shares knowledge about the disease.
On the other hand in Indonesia where breast cancer is the second cause of women’s decease, a similar foundation also present in the capital city, Jakarta. It is called, Yayasan Kesehatan Payudara Jakarta (YKPJ) - Jakarta’s Breast Health Foundation. They not merely provide plenty and useful information but also an online consultation relating breast cancer issues on their website – www.PitaPink.com (Pink Ribbon).
There are many other organisations existing but these are just few examples on how women are together from politics to health issues and their movements have always been a spotlight for unity in previous, present and future time.
Simply just because we inspire
We know, hear and read the story about Lady Diana, J.K Rowling, Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and other inspiring women from various fields and backgrounds. But, one thing I know that women do inspire and it is just like our mother earth.
We have the abilities to raise family and nurture our children, care about our environment, work and support each other, everything with unconditional love. So, when women are united for a better place to live and at the same moment, they create a power that has similar function on how this earth cares about human’s need.
We can not look flawless only by what we are wearing but also how we contribute to people around us. Besides my mother who always been an inspiration, there is one more important lady who has taught me the meaning of life. She was my nanny and her name is Darmilah. Her strength lies in her kindness, and her wealthy is shown through how she lives her life in modesty.
One day, Darmilah sat next to me and said that if I’m about to grow as a real woman, it is important to keep in mind to always act in kindness. When we are about to do a good deed, we should not let our mind question whether someone else has to know it or not. What she has said actually reminds me of the famous Oprah Winfrey’s quotation, “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not”.
Two different women living in a different part of the world but share an outstanding way of thinking, support the idea of how women should not care only about outside appearance but also their inner beauty, positive attitudes.
So if questions arise, whether or not it is possible for women around the world to unite? The answer is yes it is very possible and whether all of us men and women can achieve unity in diversity? The answer is yes, there is no doubt!
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Reading sources:
http://www.unwomen.org/
http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/hiv_aids/
http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_13/items/4049.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage
http://www.elections.org.nz/study/education-centre/history/votes-for-women.html
http://www.nbcam.org/
http://www.pitapink.com/id/index.php
