Women’s Day: ILO calls for transformative agenda for gender equality

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called for a transformative agenda for gender equality to remove the prevailing male-dominated power structures.

Mr Gilbert Houngbo, the Director-General of ILO,  made the call in a message made available to newsmen to commemorate the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD) on Wednesday,

The global theme for this  is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

Houngbo said: “If we don’t change direction, it will take more than a century for women to have the same economic and social opportunities as men.

“The multiple, overlapping, political, economic, and social crises that we are grappling with have worsened inequalities for all, but especially for women and girls – particularly those already in vulnerable situations.

“We are in a time of enormous change. We can leverage this change to improve opportunities and promote equal rights.

“This will not just benefit women and girls. It will benefit us all, because gender equality is essential for social justice and key to productive, resilient economies,” he said.

He said that the ILO, with its constituents was working to make it a reality, both with policies and actions.

Houngbo said “this is an essential step on the road towards social justice for all.”