March 8, 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD), a global day of recognition. Thousands of events are being held around the world to celebrate women’s achievements, discuss issues and inspire women. This year’s theme for IWD is “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.”
In 1910, Clara Zetkin, leader of the “Women’s Office” for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, proposed the idea of an International Women’s Day at the 2nd International Conference of Working Women. The conference attendees, more than 100 women from 17 countries, unanimously approved the suggestion. The very first IWD was launched the following year on March 19th in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than one million women and men attended rallies supporting women’s rights. In 1913, IWD was moved to March 8th, which has remained the global date ever since.
In 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8th as IWD. The General Assembly cited two reasons for adopting its IWD resolution:
To recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms requires the active participation, equality and development of women; and
To acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.
The day has traditionally been marked with a message from the U.N. Secretary-General.
While women around the world have made great strides since the first IWD, women still do not receive equal pay to that of their male counterparts, they are underrepresented in business and politics, women’s education and health are worse than men’s, and rates of violence against them are higher. BPW Foundation continues to work to transform workplaces in the United States by strengthening the capacity of organizations and businesses to create work environments that are inclusive and that value the skills and contributions of working women.
So in March, as we begin celebrations for Women’s History Month in the United States, let’s think globally. There are 154 IWD events across America from Alaska to Florida listed on the IWD website at www.internationalwomensday.com. Be a part of the global sisterhood!
HIV/AIDS is nature’s oxymoron. Sex is supposed to bring forth life, but now, it can potentially destroy it. Let’s ALL stay safe. Know your status. Get tested. Drop the stigma. Face AIDS.
A global snapshot:
33.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide
2.1 million of those are children under 15
2.9 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2009
1.8 million people died from HIV-related causes in 2009
67% of the people living with HIV/AIDS are in Sub-Saharan Africa
Young people account for half of new HIV infections
I am jealous of anyone that got to attend the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting held last week. It sounds like such a powerful event that brings together the world’s top leaders and thinkers to discuss our most pressing problems, and how to maximize human capital to solve them.
Members of the Clinton Global Initiative have made commitments valued at $57 billion, bringing hope and opportunity to more than 200 million people around the world. This year, commitments were announced to support the long-term recovery of the Gulf Coast (which makes me happy!).
The annual meeting must be an amazingly informative, energizing and empowering event to witness firsthand. In addition to the star studded line up of talented speakers, attendees had the privilege of hearing First Lady Michele Obama give the closing remarks.
She spoke about a topic near and dear to her heart which is how to address the many challenges veterans face as they transition to civilian life. In particular, she’s interested in how to fully utilize the unique skills and talents of veterans so that they can be successful when they return home.
Today, I attended CNBC’s town hall meeting, Investing in America, with President Obama. The President was intelligent, witty and thoughtful as always. He answered questions directly and addressed the concerns raised. I left the meeting excited and positive, feeling that POTUS Maximus was fighting for the American people, like me. I am a staunch Obama supporter and share it openly.
The coverage of this event however is characterizing it as Obama supporters who have lost faith in him as a leader. Please watch the actual broadcast and judge for yourself. The media coverage is a collection of sound bites. And as one gentleman pointed out: “You’re losing the war of sound bites. You’re losing the media cycles.”
What they didn’t capture from this PA small biz owner from Pennsylvania, was his continued support for Obama and his policies, giving examples of the stimulus package and auto industry investment; he outlined how legislation has businesses continue and congratulated on the job he is doing by investing in the country. His advice for the President was to regain the people who are losing faith, not because of what he hasn’t done, but because they are afraid.
The President reiterated that we have to get past the politics and back to making things better. We are in the midst of mid-term elections and a lot of ‘Obama hate’ and selective memory. I question the motivation of the media coverage that I’ve seen. At least I told you my bias from the beginning…
If you watched the broadcast or attended, tell us what you thought.
This morning I heard a concert promotion on the radio. At the tail end, it said to “Go VIP for HIV!” Concert attendees could purchase a ticket for VIP access at a higher price and a portion of the proceeds would go to Metro Teen AIDS, a local group that promotes awareness of HIV/AIDS among teens. How great is that!
Across the bridge and a minibus taxi ride away sits an unassuming women’s shelter with an amazing mountain view in Cape Town, South Africa. The shelter is for women who have been victims of domestic violence and is in an area commonly known as being part of the Cape flats, underprivileged areas of the city that are a byproduct of the former apartheid regime.
Mountainside in Cape Town
I’d link to the shelter’s website, but sometimes the site works and sometimes it doesn’t. Internet is still somewhat of a luxury here. And, in true lekker Cape Town style, that is ok because everyone is just laid back living life. If you want to know more information, you just have to drop in. Address? Who needs it? No one seems to use them when giving directions around here. So, just take the train to Retreat station, then the minibus to Seawinds/Rooibekkie Street. Get off when you see a church, just past the field of tires, tin roof shacks, a few actual houses, and children playing. Then, walk around the corner. It’s the orange house. But, I digress.
The shelter not only provides a woman and her children a place to stay, but it also provides her a way to build a new life. The women learn beading and knitting, which are trades here that permeate South African fashion. They also learn basic computer skills in weekly classes. Similarly, in the Cape Town suburbs, another shelter does the same. It not only provides refuge for the beaten and abused, but also teaches skills for life. Here, the women learn resume writing, business planning, and sewing in designated classes. Several minutes away in Observatory, Cape Town, a church hosts a women’s beading group that has been featured in national magazines. The beading orders they receive provide income for the women who have learned the trade. The World Cup created an influx of orders that is sure to add sustainability to their program.
It does not take much to teach someone a skill that we may already know. We may even consider learning a new skill ourselves. Many things we know as second nature may benefit the person next to us who has not had the opportunities that we’ve had. I have experienced this sharing of gifts in South Africa first hand. Each one, teach one. Teach a woman a skill today.
One year later and the world is missing Michael Jackson…I know I am. I wonder if there will be any justice for this star whose light too many tried to extinguish. Conrad Murray will soon have to answer to the medical board….I guess we’ll see.
There are reports that he was in the process of extorting money from the Holloway’s in exchange for details about her death and the location of her body.
The police better not screw this up…who knows how many women this psycho bastard has killed?
(I am ready to add a new post category: violence against women…)
Today, I attended CNBC’s town hall meeting, Investing in America, with President Obama. The President was intelligent, witty and thoughtful as always. He answered questions directly and addressed the concerns raised. I left the meeting excited and positive, feeling that POTUS Maximus was fighting for the American people, like me. I am a staunch Obama supporter and share it openly.
