INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

TODAY (Tuesday March 8th) IS THE 100^th ANNIVERSAY OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

And before any of you close this window because you think it's some feminist bogus not worth your time, there is also an international men's day, so have no fear. We fight for equality, not female superiority. 

What does International Women's Day mean?

There is no country in the world where men and women are equal, and that needs to change. There are women and men all over the world who are trying to change the world, and make a difference, but there needs to be more people taking action.

100 years ago when this day started, there were only two countries in the world where women could vote, and now that right is nearly universal—which is what it should be.

The head of the new U.N. women's agency said that “there has been "remarkable progress" since International Women's Day was first celebrated ...but gender equality remains a distant goal because women still suffer widespread discrimination and lack political and economic clout.”

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet (who I got to hear speak at the UN two weeks ago) said in a statement marking the 100th anniversary that the pioneering women who launched the commemoration to promote better working conditions, the right to vote and hold public office, and equality with men, would probably look at the world today "with a mixture of pride and disappointment."

It was discrimination against women that brought over one million women and men from the socialist movement onto the streets for rallies in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on what was originally called International Working Women's Day on March 19, 1911.

The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming this to be a day for women's rights and international peace.

"The last century has seen an unprecedented expansion of women's legal rights and entitlements”, but Bachelet, who founded a brand new organization called of UN Women, said that despite this progress, "the hopes of equality expressed on that first International Women's Day are a long way from being realized."

“Girls are still less likely to be in school than boys, almost two-thirds of illiterate adults are women, and every 90 seconds a woman dies in pregnancy or due to childbirth-related complications despite the knowledge and resources to make births safe, and women continue to earn less than men for the same work and have unequal inheritance rights and access to land.”

One thing to work towards is getting an equal representation of men and women in government positions. Only 28 women are heads of state or government and just 8 percent are peace negotiators.

We need to work to give women the same tools and resources as men, including better access to education, land, technology, financial services, and markets.

We need to work to at drawing the line between tradition and harm, with things like child-brides, female genital mutilation, and girls not being aloud to attend school, or sometimes leave their own house without a man.

There are many organizations that you can be a part of to help with gender equality worldwide. Even just passing this email on to spread awareness is a step in the right direction,

remember, women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights. Let's make these rights a reality for HUMANS everywhere.

Young women put back 90% of their income into their household, but men only give back 30-40%. http://www.plan-uk.org/pdfs/Girls_report_YOUTH.pdf

1 in 6 adults cannot read or write; 2/3 of them are women. http://on.fb.me/eIVMNi

Watch and/or read Secratery Clinton's remarks on the 100^th Anniversary of Int'l Women's Day: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/03/157647.htm