Zonta Rose Day:

'Take time to smell the roses'

Zonta Rose Day, which coincides with International Women's Day (today) is a day to reflect on the voluntary service carried out by the members of Zonta empowering and enhancing the status of women worldwide.

The Zonta Rose, a single yellow rose which is more than a beautiful flower, serves as the symbol of Zonta Rose Day. On this day, thousands of events are held by Zonta Clubs worldwide to inspire women and celebrate the progress made to achieve women's rights and outline future steps to improve women's equality.

Zonta Club III of Colombo is a member of Zonta International (www.zonta.com), which is a service organisation of women executives and professionals working together to advance and empower the status of women and children world-wide.

The past two decades have witnessed a notable change in society's views on the emancipation of women and women's equality. We have witnessed female heads of state in Sri Lanka, women can work and have a family and school girls are welcomed into university.

The growing number of females entering the workforce has notably increased from 1,656,166 in 1995 to 2,068,667 in 2000 and 3,057,390 in 2014.

According to the Sri Lanka Labour Force Survey, in 2014 females accounted 34.8 percent of the employed labour force, as against 30.9 percent in 1995. With a higher number of women executives in the boardroom, increased equality in legislative rights and a greater visibility as role models in various aspects of life, one may conclude that women have now achieved true equality.

Unfortunately, women do not have an equal presence in business or politics and women's health, education and the violence against them is worse than that of which is faced by men.

Women in Sri Lanka are not paid equally to that of their male counterparts. Although Women constitute the bulk of the work force in Sri Lanka's three leading foreign exchange earners which include tea, garments and foreign remittances, making a valuable contribution to GDP and overall economic development, a significant percentage of women are employed at the lower end of the employment ladder as plantation workers, assembly line operators and in overseas domestic service.

Women in Sri Lanka have longer life-spans but their average standards of nutrition fail to meet their own needs and further obstruct their efforts to ensure the health of their children.

Violence and abuse affect women from all kinds of backgrounds every day. According to a UN Survey on Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka, a woman is raped every 90 minutes.

Additionally, as identified by the group Women for Rights, 95 percent of women who use public transport in Sri Lanka experience sexual harassment.

To better prepare young Sri Lankan women for success and equality in the corporate sector, the Zonta Club III of Colombo conducted the annual Zonta Women of Tomorrow (ZWOT) Mentorship program which aims to enhance and hone their employability and professional skills.

Zonta Club III of Colombo notes that great improvements in the enhancement of the status of women have been made over time. The tone and nature of Zonta Rose Day has, for the past few years, shifted from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.

This Rose Day, the Zonta Club III of Colombo will spend time with the elderly women at the Sarvodaya Elder's Home for women in Rathmalana.

Additionally, the Club will conduct a Health Camp at the Methsevana state House of Detention for women in Gangodawila. The camp will provide the inmates with general health check-ups which includes their BMI index and a supplementary meal plan.

Zonta Rose Day presents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality and emancipation.

You can make a difference by participating in local activities and campaigns that raise awareness for gender equality and voicing your support via social media.

Zonta Club III encourages you to take time to 'smell the roses' by embracing the message of Rose Day and appreciate the progress we have made in enhancing the status of women thus far.

You can make a difference and do your bit to ensure that the future for women is equal, bright, safe and rewarding.

- Zara Mathew