Kristalina Georgieva started her second term as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2024. She stands as a crucial example, validating the contemporary discourse that declares women as free from long-evolved inherent bounds. Historically, a woman was expected to conform to the unnecessary limitations constructed by patriarchal societies. She was confined to performing unpaid and relentless chores at home. Similarly, females have witnessed various forms of gender-based violence for their femininity from ancient European society to the colonized subcontinent. Thanks to political and economic revolutions such as suffragist movements and the industrial revolution for planting a seed for women’s participation in distinguished roles. The 20th-century feminist movements mainly contribute to females’ persistent growth in political, socio-economic, cultural, and legal leadership roles. Therefore, current transformations disregard the subjugation of women in any domain. Therefore, the phrase Frailty, thy name is woman, by Shakespeare, is known to be an obsolete notion.
The former Chinese president Mao Zedong expressed in public, “Women hold up half the sky.” It depicts the importance of females being given equal opportunities. However, ancient traditions considered women frail and incapable of doing what men could do. Ancient norms kept women aloof from involvement in decision-making or property rights. Social constructs only engaged them in domestic labor, such as being tied up in the kitchen, cleaning house, serving their husband, rearing children, and other exhausting duties without compensation. Because they were perceived as subservient and their self-expression was covertly and overtly suppressed. Eventually, the 19th and 20th centuries marked a wave of enlightenment that produced different offshoots for change, such as feminist movements.
Olympe de Gouges (a French women’s activist) published a document, “The Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of Female Citizen,” in 1791 to represent females in politics for the first time in history. Jeannette Rankin practically became the first woman representative of the US Congress in 1916. Similarly, Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the UK, played a crucial role in preventing surging violence in the Gulf War (1990). This tactful behavior marks an example of a remarkable contribution of a woman leader. Besides, Kamala Harris rose to the position of 49th vice president of the United States. She once expressed in her office, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.” Moreover, as a contestant, she won a presidential debate against the highly competitive present US president, Donald Trump. These phenomenal examples display the representative role of women as leaders in this competitive world.
Women are not only limited to political achievements but also eminent in social exposures. As emphasized in the Quran, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim (man and woman).” The world’s female diaspora is rapidly progressing to be on par with males on modern standards. Recently, the ratio of educated young women in the United States is estimated to be around 40 percent who possess graduation or higher degrees. Surprisingly, male counterparts stand subsequent at 36 percent. This shows the number of educated women is greater than that of men. According to the Nation’s Gender Gap Report 2024, globally, females get an unprecedented 88 percent of opportunities in education and employment as compared to 91 percent of males. It shows an increased share with respect to preceding years. Besides, they are advancing in health facilities as well.
Despite several challenges, especially psychological and physical progress in developing a nation, women combat health issues. Taiwan in Asia stands out as the best country for women’s healthcare in the recent Global Women Healthcare Index (2024). European countries such as Austria, Germany, and Switzerland illustrate comparable scores in women’s well-being. A prominent feminist, Melinda Gates, from the US, interprets it as “When you invest in women’s health, you invest in the future of society.” Maybe this progress does not resolve the entire health issues of the globe; nonetheless, it reveals a sign of consistent improvement made by informed nations.
Moreover, Nadia Murad from Iraq fought against conflict, terrorist activities, and other forms of heinous violence against women. She got a Nobel Prize for activism on behalf of Yazidi women who were victims of isolation and abuse. Another Palestinian human rights advocate, Fadwa Al Barghouti, confronts violence for peaceful resistance. These examples epitomize the valor of common women in conflict resolution by preventing reckless instances of brutality. Similar remarks were given by the prominent Pakistani feminist, Malala Yousafzai: “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” She survived a terror attack at Sawat Valley in 2012. Later, she was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize after two years. A chain of social problems is incomplete without examining the pressing challenges of the environment.
Ladies fight on an equal front to address the environmental problems. Among several women participating to eradicate the climatic hazards, Christiana Figueres is a prominent indication of change. She is the main key architect of the Paris Agreement 2015. Additionally, a leading figure often recognized as the “Queen of Recycling,” Isatou Ceesay from Gambia, has transmuted plastic waste into economic opportunity. In 1997, she co-founded the Njau Recycling and Income Generation Group (NRIJG) as a source of income for the poor communities in Gambia.
Legally, the infamous ‘holders of half the sky’ have overstepped the limits of inferiority, from fighting for women’s rights to achieving equal status with men. One of the commendable figures, Eleanor Roosevelt, worked parallel with the coordination, preparing the draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 (UDHR). This draft serves as an exemplary milestone towards human cooperation on the global stage. An Australian feminist judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Hilary Charlesworth, equally contributes to the development of women’s rights in legal frameworks. She has worked constantly to represent gender perspectives in international legal frameworks. Thus, it keeps no more frailty in the name of women.
Culturally, honor killing is one of the most dominant challenges faced by vulnerable daughters of the earth. An Academy Award-winning documentary on this issue, A Girl in the River, was produced by Sharmeen Obaid. The Pakistani feminist discovered a source to eradicate the dilemma of honor killing. For years, it was a sign of a cultural pitfall in society. On the other hand, Chimamanda Ngozi plays a vital role in expanding cultural scope beyond Africa. From her famous literature works, Half of a Yellow Sun is among the widely acknowledged contributions. Evidently, these legacies are testimony to women becoming a viable resilience.
Ultimately, the predominant belief about the weak or subservient role of a woman has been postponed. The above discussion formidably validates the notion that frailty is no longer the name of a woman. A male-dominant perspective in every aspect of women’s affairs needs to be eradicated because they are self-determined and self-decisive in their matters. Hence, the commendable role of activists has brought about a transformative change that epitomizes women in diverse political, socio-economic, cultural, and legal fields. Modern society undeniably admits the phrase that frailty is irrelevant in the updated discourse of the subject—the women. Michelle Obama advocates the mainstream progress of women, saying, “There is no limit to what we, the women, can accomplish.”
