±«Óãtv

Good Morning. In the Igbo tribe of Nigeria, where I’m from, the Ada – the eldest daughter – holds a particularly high status within the family. She’s well-respected, looked up to, looked after – the one who sets an example for her younger sisters to follow. I’m an eldest daughter, my mother is an eldest daughter, my grandmother is an eldest daughter, and so was my great-grandmother. I often think about how different our lives would have been. Each of us saw different sights, grew up in different places – from the sandy landscapes of the south-east of Nigeria to the towering skyscrapers of central London. We use technology in different ways, we have varying levels of independence and we have lived through various iterations of women’s liberation.

Today is International Women’s Day when we celebrate the unique power, diversity, creativity and strength that can be found in women across the globe. And yet we recognise that there is so much still to be done in certain areas in order for women to enjoy the same access to education, health and dignity as the male counterparts in their communities. On this International Women’s Day, let us hear the voices of women around the world who long for a future much better than their past.

When women flourish, whole communities are transformed. When women fulfil their potential, every single one of us benefits. When women are freed from the chains of sexual violence, oppression, child marriage, FGM and trafficking, they are more able to be who they were supposed to be. When women rise, the sky’s the limit.

Let us pray that women around the world will step into a brighter future.

Amen.