By: Alagie Kassama
SBEC International Arabic High School, on Friday, March 8, 2024, joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Women’s Day on the school grounds with the theme ‘Cultivating Worth: Recognizing and Elevating Every Woman.’
In her keynote address, Madam Ayeesah-Nyang Njie, director of SBEC International School, expressed her excitement over celebrating the Day and recognizing women’s invaluable contributions.
She added, “It is a day to celebrate our grandmothers, mothers, wives, aunties, sisters, and daughters. This is a day we are honored and appreciated as child-bearers.”
She emphasized that women from the cradle have been created and prepared by Allah to bear pain, including menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and child upbringing, amongst others. She said this is a testament to the unshakable strength of women.
She advised young girls to know their worth and respect themselves so the world could respect them. “Let us not be carried away by what is happening on social media. Let us never get carried away by what is occurring in other parts of the world because you would have lost your identity, ‘she continued.
In her statement as the Special Guest Speaker on the values and roles of women in Islam, Madam Dembele said this year’s theme calls for actionable measures to empower every woman and give her equitable and inclusive access to education.
“In Islam, there is no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as both are rewarded and punished for the same conduct. The Qur’an says that men have rights over women similar to those women over men.” (Chapter 2: Verse 228). The Qur’an declares that men and women are created from a single soul to be partners to each other, that male and female have the same religious responsibility, and both genders would receive the same rewards on the Day of Judgment,” she remarked.
She urged the students, especially the boys, to treat the girls with honor, respect, and kindness and participate in household chores, washing the dishes, cleaning the house, and supporting the mothers, sisters, and wives.
She commended women for occupying key leadership positions in today’s society, ranging from teachers, nurses, doctors, and administrators to CEOs of top organizations and contributing meaningfully in countless ways.
She stressed the importance of working together to dismantle the barriers and foster a more inclusive world where women and men thrive to contribute fully to improving the world.
Other speakers, including Awa Musa Darboe, Zainab Tunkara, Fatima Jorjo Gaye, Aji Kulay Touray, and Fatima Conde, all of whom are students of the school, took turns to deliver statements on the value and role of women in society and the need for increased empowerment and inclusion of women in leadership, education, and health.
In her closing remarks, Aisata Ceesay, a student and President of the Student Government, applauded the various speakers for exploring the incredible values of women in Islam.
She thanked them for recognizing and appreciating women’s critical roles and contributions throughout history. She acknowledged Islam’s honor and adoration of women, emphasizing their significant societal contributions and roles.
The United Nations has designated the year 2024’s theme as ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ with a focus on addressing economic, cultural, social, and political disempowerment, while the campaign theme for this year is ‘Inspire Inclusion,’ which emphasizes the importance of women to be included, fostering a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.
Women’s Day is a global event celebrated on March 8 every year to honor and recognize women’s accomplishments and contributions worldwide. The Day also raises public awareness of gender disparity and discrimination against women.
