Catherine Mungai, the facility manager at Karagita Health Centre, detailed how gender disparities significantly influence wellbeing.
“Gender inequality, a pressing issue that demands our immediate attention, refers to the unequal treatment or disparities individuals face based on gender, often resulting in one gender having more privileges, opportunities, or rights than another.
This imbalance manifests in various areas, including education, employment, wages, leadership roles, healthcare, and legal rights.
For instance, women may earn less in flower farms than men for the same work, girls in specific communities may be denied access to education, and men may face stigma for pursuing careers traditionally dominated by women, such as nursing.
While gender inequality affects everyone, it disproportionately impacts women and girls, restricting their ability to achieve their full potential.
Beyond social and economic consequences, gender inequality also inflicts a significant toll on mental health, creating stress, anxiety, and trauma for those who face discrimination, limited opportunities, or societal pressures. This is a call for us to empathize with those affected and take action to alleviate their suffering.”
She further says,
“Gender inequality casts a long, dark shadow over mental health in communities, creating a cycle of stress, trauma, and unmet needs that reverberates across generations.
Women and girls often denied equal opportunities in education, employment, and leadership, face chronic anxiety and depression as they navigate systemic barriers and societal expectations. Men, pressured to conform to rigid stereotypes of strength and stoicism, often suppress their emotions, leading to higher rates of untreated depression and suicide.
Gender-based violence, fueled by inequality, leaves survivors, primarily women, with deep psychological scars, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a pervasive sense of insecurity.
Meanwhile, those who defy traditional gender roles, such as stay-at-home dads or women in male-dominated fields, endure social stigma and isolation, further eroding their mental well-being.
This toxic interplay of discrimination, violence, and societal pressure not only harms individuals but also weakens the fabric of communities, perpetuating cycles of inequality and mental health struggles that demand urgent attention and action.”
International Women’s Day 2025 clarion call reverberates across the globe: “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
This year’s International Women’s Day is a rallying cry to break the barriers that have long held women back and to propel the world toward a future where gender equality is not a distant dream but a present reality.
This day is more than a celebration; it’s a movement demanding urgent and transformative action. We cannot afford to wait any longer to address the systemic inequities that disproportionately affect women and girls.
The theme captures the urgency of now, a world still grappling with systemic inequities that disproportionately affect women and girls.
Empower speaks to creating spaces where women can lead fearlessly, unshackled by societal limitations. It’s about providing the tools, resources, and platforms to amplify their voices and agency.
Educate reminds us of the transformative power of knowledge, advocating for equal access to education for every girl, from bustling urban centers to the most remote villages.
Elevate calls for a collective rise, ensuring women are not just participants but leaders in shaping tomorrow’s social, economic, and cultural landscapes.
This year’s celebration is a call to action for communities, governments, and organizations to take measurable steps in closing gender gaps.
It demands fair wages, equitable representation, access to healthcare, and safety from gender-based violence. It pledges to uplift women in all spheres of life, whether in boardrooms, classrooms, or homes.
As we reflect on the theme, the clarion call is clear: Equality delayed is progress denied. It’s time to move beyond promises to purposeful action.
This International Women’s Day challenges us to accelerate the pace of change, to build a world where every woman, regardless of her circumstances, can thrive. When we achieve gender equality, we create a society where everyone can contribute their unique talents and perspectives, leading to a more vibrant and prosperous world.
We can transform today’s challenges into a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow.
MIDRIFT HURINET interventions in tackling inequality go beyond addressing symptoms; they delve into the roots of systemic disparities, creating pathways for transformative change.
From advocating for equitable resource distribution to empowering the most marginalized voices, their work embodies a commitment to building communities where opportunity is not a privilege but a shared right.
The approach’s core belief is that inequality thrives in silence. To counter this, the organization has launched programs that amplify the voices of women, youth, and other marginalized groups, ensuring they are included in decision-making processes. Through platforms like community forums and policy dialogues, it challenges systems that exclude and replace them with inclusive structures that prioritize the needs of the underserved.
Education and capacity-building are also central to their interventions. MIDRIFT HURINET recognizes that knowledge is power, and empowering communities with the tools to advocate for their rights is a step toward dismantling inequality. By offering training sessions on human rights, legal frameworks, and resource access, they equip individuals with the skills to challenge inequitable practices and demand accountability.
The focus on fostering community-police relations under its programming has been pivotal in reducing the insecurity that often deepens inequality.
Building trust between law enforcement and the community creates safer spaces where economic activities can flourish, enabling individuals to break free from cycles of poverty and exclusion.
MIDRIFT HURINET’s fight against inequality is not just about leveling the playing field but creating a society where everyone has the tools, opportunities, and freedom to thrive.
Their interventions serve as a reminder that addressing inequality requires more than policies, it demands a collective will to envision and work toward a just and equitable world.
The rallying theme calls for supportive policies beyond symbolic gestures to create tangible, lasting change.
These policies must recognize that achieving gender equality requires dismantling systemic barriers, such as unequal access to education and discriminatory workplace practices, and fostering environments where women can thrive unencumbered by inequity. Whether addressing economic disparities, health inequities, or societal biases, supportive policies are the scaffolding upon which a fairer world is built.
At the heart of these efforts lies the need for economic empowerment.
Policies that mandate equal pay for equal work enforce workplace protections against harassment and ensure access to affordable childcare are essential to leveling the playing field. Tax incentives for women-led businesses and funding for vocational training programs can help women enter and excel in industries traditionally dominated by men, particularly in underserved areas.
By investing in women’s economic independence, these policies uplift individuals and catalyze broader societal growth.
Health-focused policies are another cornerstone of equality.
Access to comprehensive maternal care, mental health services, and gender-sensitive healthcare systems is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Governments and organizations must prioritize funding for initiatives that address the unique health challenges women face, from reproductive rights to trauma recovery programs for survivors of violence. Policies that integrate mental health into primary care frameworks ensure that women’s well-being is supported holistically.
Education remains a powerful equalizer, and supportive policies must guarantee that every girl, regardless of socioeconomic status, has access to quality education. Initiatives that provide free sanitary products, scholarships for marginalized girls, and training for teachers on gender sensitivity can help close the education gap. Beyond access, curricula that challenge gender stereotypes and promote inclusivity can inspire young women to break societal molds.
Policies promoting representation are critical. Mandating quotas for women in leadership roles, in politics, corporate boardrooms, or community councils, ensures that decision-making processes reflect diverse perspectives. Policies encouraging mentorship programs further empower women to ascend to these positions, creating a ripple effect of empowerment.
As the world heeds the clarion call of International Women’s Day 2025, supportive policies become the foundation of a global commitment to accelerating equality. They are the tools through which empowerment, education, and elevation transform from ideals into everyday realities, building a world where all women can thrive.
By: Jacob Karani
