Let's work harder for women to hit their full potential

Rotary International President Jennifer Jones.

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate women's achievements and reflect on ongoing challenges in seeking gender equity and inclusion.

Achieving true gender equity will require our full dedication and an openness to change. We must promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the communities we serve. By creating an inclusive environment, we strive to empower women and ensure their voices are heard and valued.

As the first female president of Rotary International, I am proud to highlight our dedication to championing and unleashing the potential of women and girls through education, health services, and economic opportunities. Through our work, we are inspired by stories of women who have made a significant impact through their service, and we will continue to empower them.

Women have played a crucial role in global effort to eradicate polio. Female vaccinators - who help build trust with mothers and families - have been and continue to be critical. In Pakistan, one of the two remaining polio-endemic countries, two-thirds of the polio workforce are women.

Women who provide healthcare are the key link, as they provide trusted advice on not only polio but other health issues. Employing women is one key strategy of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. That's not only to deliver vaccines at the front line, but also hire women as supervisors, doctors and decision-makers.

In Nigeria, majority of polio community workers are women, and they played a critical role in the country being certified wild polio-free. Our commitment to gender parity goes beyond polio eradication efforts. We believe diverse membership allows us to better serve communities and advance our mission of creating a more peaceful world.

As women, we need to raise each other up, nurture and mentor each other, and create opportunities for growth and success. Rotary is home to many inspirational women who have done incredible things.

For example, Lydiah Njoroge has directly impacted lives of nearly 300,000 girls in Kenya and other parts of East Africa by providing hygiene products to keep them healthy and in school. Marie-Irene Richmond-Ahoua, one of the first female Rotarians in Africa, appealed directly to a military leader's family to vaccinate children against polio during a 1999 coup in Cote d'Ivoire.

Rosemary Nambooze, a mother to a child with Down Syndrome, educates and nurtures children with intellectual disabilities in Uganda. Martha Lungu, who overcame a personal tragedy and now works tirelessly to reduce the burden of Malaria in Zambia.

Recently, during my visit to Nakivale refugee settlement in Uganda, a teacher shared staggering statistics on girls' education. Many are unable to finish grade school and some are forced into child marriages.

Our work continues, ranging from providing interest-free microcredit loans for women in Nigeria to supplying menstrual hygiene products for girls in Kenya. Across all of Rotary's causes, hundreds of projects are underway, making a meaningful and often lifesaving difference.

-The writer is the Rotary International President. @JenJonesRotary