International Women's Day

I don't blog very often about the United Nations and all that I'm privileged to witness here. With the likelihood of our removal from New York sometime this year, I've had an urgent feeling to really mark this time and watch it closely.

Due to the Commission on the Status of Women, the UN has been flooded over the last 2-weeks with women from all over the world gathering to address our common challenges and to find solutions. Women helping women. Love that. This year they are addressing discrimination and violence.

And today is International Women's Day. During a session this week it was noted that one of the events leading to the creation of the International Women’s Day had been the “Triangle Fire” (1911) in New York City’s Union Square. The fire had taken the lives of more than 140 girls, textile workers, who were burned to death because of the factory’s locked doors. New York and the Nation were outraged and a unified workers movement commenced resulting in the passing of 36 new labor laws.

This years theme for the International Women's Day is "Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls". Some things I've been learning about is how the international community needs to support indictments that hold people accountable. Lots of pressure is being exerted by women’s groups and peer groups to make legislation on violence against women universal, and countries are responding swiftly. Five years ago, only half the number of UN Member States had even dealt with such legislation. There is a growing movement, but it did needs to be mobilized and as we've learned through so many conflicts throughout the world, it's imperative to get regional groups engaged. It's great to see that both the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the African Union have made this issue critical.

Here's the new Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon's, message regarding IWD. Some highlights are:

Worst of all, violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women's lives, on their families, and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence -- yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned.

That is why International Women’s Day is so important. It spells out our responsibility to work for enduring change in values and attitudes. It calls on us to work in partnership -- Governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector. It urges us to work for a transformation in relations between women and men, at all levels of society. It compels us to strengthen every means of empowering women and girls -- from education to microcredit.

So, I've been thinking about the women in my life, and those I've observed, and wondering if it would be too cheesy to list some of the people who I admire or who have really influenced me.... hmmmm... maybe so. Suffice it to say, that through my experiences, I feel I've developed a unique admiration, gratitude, and sympathy for women. I celebrate women and I'm regularly overwhelmed and grateful for their contributions. I think the unique element of my experence comes from my religion. I am constantly, and even recently humbled, by the women I've known in the church who seek daily to improve themselves and understand their potential as daughters of God. Women who are hopeful and faithful and who share so much with others; women who show courage when challenged and restraint in critizising others.

I am very grateful this day for Gods creation of women and the distinctive good they do in the world.

Thank you mom. :)