Intl Women’s Day: Sustainable Gender Equality Practices

The intent and purpose of celebrating International Women’s Day is to reflect on the tremendous progress made in furthering empowerment and equality when it comes to women and their rights and to call for change. Nepalnews wishes all you incredible women a Happy International Women's Day! Today we have a look at the bold, strong women who’ve impacted and continued to impact change for women as women.

Run by one woman, Shidkia Acharya Chhetri, Zestasia is a small business which has aesthetic hand made candles. She says, “I have always loved and found delight in certain aesthetic things. And getting to curate it with my hands makes me more happy. Zestasia for me is an engagement of senses. It is for your eyes, nose, touch, mind and heart.”

There might be a lot of challenges, but she feels that there’s still a lot to do and wants to be optimistic that one day she’ll get to see the changes. “I hope to see more females engaged in all facets of life and for that sustainable gender equality is a great start. The chasm is far too wide and we need more time to really see a difference. There’s always room for improvement in anything”, she exaggerates.

Chhetri has been listening to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who said that for a woman to be taken seriously at the workplace, she has to let go of her femininity and dress in pants suits, never show any emotions and think like a man, which she thinks is outrageous and unfair. She feels women have to work very hard to reach such positions and even when they do, their own identity is lost and that is not equality. 

Similarly, an online based bakery The Sugar Frenzy aims to bring scrumptious treats your way. For the love of sweets, the founder Anuska Shrestha began her very own sweets shop. She says, “Opening a bakery has been my dream ever since I can remember. Being a sweet tooth, I’ve always loved to explore treats and then try to make them at home.”, giving a special mention to her friend Abhilasha Thapa, who supported her throughout the journey and helped to establish it.

According to Shrestha, “Sustainable gender equality has made a massive difference compared to the old days. Nowadays, we can see women in high positions in many sectors. However, our society still can’t take it easily when a woman does something incredible.”

“When we are asked if women are treated equally as men, then that question itself is proof that there are still differences between the genders”, she adds. As a woman, Shrestha conveys that every woman should follow their dreams since today’s world supports and accepts them. If needed, one should take inspiration from those women who have proved themselves beyond this gender inequality barrier.

Danfe work enterprises nepal, sustainably-made clothing is a social enterprise of SAATH designed for girls affected by the earthquake in Nepal in 2015. They get their products locally stitched by their own beneficiaries (they were given advanced tailoring training for 1 year) who came from Sindhupalchowk, Rasuwa, Kavre and Makwanpur.

The co-founder Kritishma Karki says, “Our effort aims to add additional depth to the lives of the people we work with and for. As the Danfe has various colors, likewise, in our clothing, it represents individuals of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures coming together as one”

“For me, I feel empowered when I am not being compared to a man, and I think it’s more important to know what women want than making a comparison”, she adds. When it comes to encouraging someone, she thinks rather than preaching about it, it’s better if someone gets motivated by her achievement in any way.

“If a company has a female CEO, then it depends on the employees how they treat her. Just because there is sustainable gender equality that doesn’t mean that one would comply with it”, Karki adds further.

This magnificent woman wants you to remind yourselves that giving love, respect and supporting each other is all-important. It might sound a bit corny but true, anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself even though there are some hurdles on the way. They want to thank those women who came before them paving the way forward so that they could walk with ease. And lastly, they wish you all Happy International Women's Day.