INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY; BREAKING THE BIAS
International women’s day has been celebrated on the 8th of March since the first IWD gathering in 1911 and its official conception in 1975.
On this day, women all over the world show solidarity against unequal and unfair practices that have been held against them for centuries. The significance of International Women’s Day is very broad and it covers issues such as gender based violence, unequal pay, discrimination, women and girls education, and so on.
According to www.internationalwomensday.com, IWD is a global holiday celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Quoting them further, the day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Simply put, the day celebrates women’s achievements, raises awareness about women’s issues and sees the organization of various fundraisers for female-focused charity.
The theme for this year’s international women’s day is “break the bias” and countries, groups, organizations all around the world are taking part in the activities and making a positive change in any way they can.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria- Young Pharmacists Group, Lagos Chapter celebrates international women’s day by recognizing the women in the pharmacy profession and acknowledges their hard work and resilience.
The history of women in pharmacy has been filled with resilient trailblazing women and it started with Elizabeth Gooking Greenleaf who is recognized as the first notable female apothecary. She opened her apothecary shop in 1727 in Boston, United States
Anna Louise James is regarded as the first African-American woman pharmacist as well as the first Black woman to graduate from the Brooklyn College of pharmacy.
She operated the James Pharmacy in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, where she practiced as a licensed pharmacist for more than fifty years.
Oreoluwa Green was the first female pharmacist in West Africa and she hailed from Nigeria. Miss Oreloluwa became the first African woman to obtain a qualification from the Apothecaries Pharmaceutical Society In London in 1916. She obtained the certificate to practice pharmacy.
Moreso, in the effort to contribute to the development of her society, she built her own hospital at Campell Street, Marina, Lagos. Therein she practised as a nurse and pharmacist.
When it comes to the population of women in the pharmaceutical profession, there are a sizable number of us, but, nearly not enough at managerial positions. According to a research in 2017 by pharmaceutical students of a Russian university, they inferred that despite the increasing number of women in pharmacy, there is a disparity in gender representation in senior and managerial positions.
This year, as we break the bias, we raise awareness for women all over the world, as well as those in our niche, pharmacy. We encourage them and say “we see you, we support you and we are rooting for you”.
It is admirable to see women juggling their professional career with their personal life and as a way of supporting them, we call out unfair practices such as discrimination, unequal pay, unfair profiling and a lack of acknowledgement of the hard work being put in. we celebrate the women before us, the women now and the women to come as we all hold strong to our end of the stick and pull. Together, we can break the bias.
Written by Amali Goodness
