Women have been fighting for equal rights for years and generations, and while there is still a long way to go, they have won many battles so far. Today, women are no longer afraid to take to the streets and protest against domestic violence, sexual harassment, equality and discrimination, and even though millions of women around the world are still fighting against inequality and discrimination, they are slowly but surely making their voices heard.

More and more women are now in parliament, heading companies, part of law and policymakers, and more and more women are now working in industries that have never had female employees before. Even young girls in male-dominated countries are now speaking up and fighting for their rights. A famous example is Malala Yousafzai, a 20-year-old Pakistani who was shot in a bus at the age of 15 by Taliban gunmen for speaking up about girls’ right to education and who is, today, an activist for female education and human rights, as well as the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.

Just recently, in February, Kay Maree Goldsworthy became the first female archbishop in history in the Anglican Communion. She is now a bishop of the Anglican Church of Australia and the Archbishop of Perth in the Anglican Province of Western Australia. In June, there was another major step forward for the rights of women in the conservative religious kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where women have, for too long, been prevented from taking their own decisions. At the beginning of June, Saudi Arabia issued the first driving licences to women and officially lifted the ban on women driving two weeks ago.

In fact, allowing women to drive was just the most recent of the initiatives that have been taken by the Saudi King and Prince Mohammad bin Salman to reinforce the role of women in the Saudi society, such as increasing the number of job openings for women in the public sector and allowing women to vote and run in municipal elections. But while the Saudi Arabians are slowly but surely making their way to a less patriarchal society, they were faced with a sexist and discriminatory situation this week in – no, not in Saudi Arabia – Mauritius.

The Saudi Arabian minister of interior, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, who was on an official visit in Mauritius, was invited to a dinner –  which was hosted in his honour on Monday evening by the Saudi Arabia Friendship Association of Mauritius, an association presided over by former Vice Prime Minister Showkutally Soodhun – which no woman was invited to. Not only were women and female ministers – including Vice Prime Minister Fazila Daureeawoo – not invited, but the prime minister, Pravind Jugnauth, who proudly talked about his initiatives to enhance the role and participation of women in the development of the country in his recent budget speech, did not think that there was anything wrong with the event. In fact, he said, “Fortunately, I was invited”.

But while this may seem shocking for a government that is constantly claiming to be closing the gender gap in the country, it isn’t the worst part.

What is more shocking and worrying about having a grand gender-specific dinner in Mauritius – in the presence of its prime minister – is the reaction of our minister of gender equality. “I think we understand why it's tricky, right?”

 No, we don’t. Not in Mauritius and certainly not in 2018.

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