this years theme is 'make it happen' and focuses to encourage women in different professional sectors such as the arts, female-owned businesses, women in senior leadership roles and all aspects of working environments where gender parity has not been achieved yet.
i think it is fantastic to celebrate the accomplishments of women and to raise awareness about the fact that there still is a pay gap, that women often have to work harder to reach certain positions and that they still have to face sexism and discrimination.
as passionate as i am about this years theme, i wanted to take the opportunity to raise our attention to the fact that many women today live in slavery. in fact, it is estimated that of the 21-36 million enslaved today, approximately 55% are women and girls.
these are startling numbers and in many ways it can make us feel powerless and overwhelmed.
however, there is things we can do. there is many charities which work to end slavery and to set victims free. one of this charities is the a21 campaign which works to fight human trafficking, including sexual exploitation and forced slave labour.
the a 21 campaign focusses to combat slavery through educational awareness and prevention, the protection of victims by providing medical and psychological treatment as well as legal and vocational assistance in crisis centres, shelters and transitional homes. also, the aim is to have traffickers persecuted. a21 works together with various partners including official bodies, community members and other organisations and corporations.
i want to encourage you to maybe start thinking whether you can support this campaign or another anti-trafficking charity financially but also to include this issue regularly in your prayers.
to find out more visit www.a21.org
