Today is International Women’s Day, a day which highlights the severe discrimination and oppression of women all around the world. There are strong evidence for the thesis that if gender equality is promoted in developing countries, it will give positive effects when it comes to political participation, poverty reduction and human rights.

But gender equality also has an intrinsic value, as people created in the image of God, it is totally unacceptable when women are facing oppression, violence and humiliation. Christian Aid has written this text about women’s situation in war, with the case study of Syria, that emphazise the importance of gender awareness.

Women in wartime

Today some 90% of war casualties are civilians, the majority of whom are women and children. 

Just over a century ago, when the first International Women’s Day events were held, women and children made up only 10% of war casualties, while military personnel made up the majority of those who lost their lives.

Victims of sexual violence in DR Congo

International Women’s Day and Mothering Sunday

This year International Women’s Day and Mothering Sunday fall over the same weekend, on 8 and 10 March respectively.

These are both moments for celebrating the strength, resilience and inspiration of women all over the planet.  But they are also times to draw attention to the fact that women are the world’s second class citizens.

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