International Women's Day

It's International Women's Day today. The little cartoon characters above show the many faces of women all over the world. I was thinking about this day, when I woke up today and wondered what women I know...are making a difference in the world? Since I am writing a blog...the best example I could come up with...that would be familiar to all of us...is my friend Jamie. http://blondemomblog.com/ Here, from her blog, a description of who she is....

I'm Jamie, a 40-something working mom seeking a few moments of Zen and zinfandel between soccer practice and supper. My former beach bartender husband foundedMouseCalls Computer Services here in Nashville. We have two daughters, two dogs, and too much laundry. You'll find more dog hair than DIY at my house. Kick off your shoes and come on in!

The past days have been a new experience for Jamie. She has traveled to Africa with Rene Cook, founder of Every Girls Counts, they were honored to be guests at an amazing conference for teenage girls from the Kibera slum. The Jitambue program, funded by Passion Partners, was started a decade ago by Swahiba Youth Networks in only one high school reaching just 11 girls. The program curriculum emphasizes positive reproductive health and self-worth and has grown today to impact more than 700 girls at 13 schools in the slum. The conference was held on the grounds of a church just within Kibera, where around one million people live in extreme poverty the likes of which most of us will never witness. 90 percent of the girls in the project live in single-parent households. Many of them have lost a parent to HIV or AIDS. None of them have lost hope.

These words are taken from her blog...She is one person who took it upon herself to try to make a difference. Why not go visit Jamie and read about her life changing week? It just shows that one person can do a lot to bring about change. We don't all have to travel to Africa...we can start right in our own family and neighborhood. it all begins with just one person.
Balisha

International Women's Day

Today is the 100th Birthday of International Women's Day. International Women's Day is celebrated across the world on March 8th each year. The day is about celebrating the vital role women play in enhancing economic security for their families, communities and countries as a whole while recognising that significant barriers to achieving women's economic security and equality continue to exist. There are many interesting things to read on the web today. Today we should pay respect to the women who have been important in our lives and their struggles.

Here is a history of this day.... Balisha

1857- New York Lower East Side Female textile/garment workers staged a protest against 12 hour work days and poor working conditions. For female trade union members this began International Women’s Day (IWD).

1909-The first National Woman’s Day occurred on February 28^th in the United States.

1910- The Copenhagen Initiative established a Women’s Day to honor the fight for women’s rights and universal suffrage. The day was approved unanimously by over 100 women from 17 countries. No fixed date had been chosen yet though.

1911-Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland held rallies for International Women’s Day for the first on March 19^th.

1914-International Women’s Day became part of anti-war movement during World War I. Russian women observed their country’s first IWD on the last Sunday of February. Other places in Europe celebrated around March 8^th by holding rallies and/or protesting the war.

1917-Again Russian women protested on IWD and four days later the Czar stepped down and the provisional government gave women the right to vote.

1975-was designated as ‘International Women’s Year‘ by the United Nations.

1978-The Education Task Force of Sonoma County in California began “Women’s History Week.” It was purposely chosen to occur along with IWD.

1987-A Congressional resolution made March Women’s History Month nationally.

Today- IWD continues to have its political roots, but is also a day to just take a moment to recognize and pay respect to the women in our lives.

IWD is now an official holiday in China, Angola, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and many other countries.