Women of the world

“You tell her to be quiet, to hush, to play small.
You may forget this is not what she came to earth for at all.
She may have previously kept quiet and not been visible for the world to see.
For women to be less than or not have a voice was not what the world was intended to be.”

Every year I reflect on the importance of International Women’s Day and give thanks to the women before me who have opened the door and led the way. I am grateful to my mother who sacrificed her dreams so mine could become a reality, and I’m grateful for the innumerable sacrifices all women before me have made. The women who have paved the way – the trailblazers – who used their voice to speak up and challenge the status quo for my right to give birth, my right to vote, my right to freedom and peace.

“Excluding her voice at tables to make legislation that causes a world of women such strife.
Include her in the decision, in the room especially when the decision regards life.
For when she speaks up to demand equity the voices that surround her drown her out.          
But the world becomes bewildered when the inequities that prevail, cause her to shout!”

I acknowledge and applaud the women leaders of the world – the ones defending freedom for their countries, opposing war, standing up for human rights, speaking up for girls’ rights to education, and fighting for gender equity. From dowries, to domestic violence, to period poverty, to child marriages and arranged marriages, to inquiring into the missing Indigenous women, I am thankful to the leaders who are advocating for all women’s rights in all parts of the world. I also recognize the efforts of the women shattering glass ceilings, raising their children, and raising their voices to inform the way of the world. Women in the workforce to stay-at-home moms, we all have a voice, a story, and a unique purpose and identity that was meant to be shared and appreciated by the world. The life cycle of a girl, her rights, freedoms, and the impositions she faces are relative to geography, culture and opportunity. So although not all our experiences begin the same, we can have a shared goal of evolution. In the words of Ida B Wells, “Injustice thrives in silence. When we speak and unite a truth, things change.”

Although we have made major leaps and bounds in the western world when it comes to gender inequity, there remains extensive work to be done. Our landscape is changing but not at a pace we can – or should – accept or tolerate. I believe as a woman in medicine it is my role to advocate for equity, and that there has never been a more important time for us to unite as women of a profession committed to humanity and health. I have the incredible privilege and opportunity to shape, challenge, and influence health – including advocating for human rights such as gender equality.

“Ensure you listen to the purposeful words of the next generation of girls that will soon follow.
Give us our voices, our podiums and stages to inspire.
We were meant to arrive and lead the next generation.
If you allow us to use our innate wisdom we could change the entire nation.”

I stand on the shoulders of the sacrifices made by my ancestors, women who did not have freedom of choice in their lives, who were denied rights to education, who were born into a culture in which being a girl was a curse. I was beyond fortunate that in my family, I was both celebrated for my gender and encouraged to pursue education. Now, as the mother of three daughters I feel compelled to pay it forward – a responsibility to ensure there is no regression and a duty to promote a way forward that is equitable, fair, and just. Gender should not impose limits on our life experience, achievement, or aspirations. I wish everyone pioneering for change a Happy International Women’s Day, it is our collective impact and the power of us that will change the world.

- Dr Ramneek Dosanjh