is to take part in an event that celebrates International Women’s
Day.
International Women’s Day is right around the corner folks! On
March 8, people around the world will celebrate this honorable and
momentous holiday. The oppression and inequality of women in the
early 1900’s pushed our female ancestors to become more vocal and
active in creating change. The official holiday has been observed
since 1908—when 15,000 women marched through New York City
demanding voting rights, better pay, and shorter hours. Some of the
following are examples of how women have come together to celebrate
the strength and impact of women in the past: there was a silent
protest in Tapei, Asia, women rallied from factories and groups
in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Iranian women marched in Tehran and women
in South Africa launched an education bus tour for women.
My great-great Aunt Geneva passed away a few years ago at the
golden age of 102. She was born at a time when women weren’t seen
as such empowered and active members of our society—but this
didn’t slow her down at all. She travelled the world on her own
and wasn’t about to let anyone stop her. I remember Thanksgiving
was the time that all of my cousins lined up and sat on Geneva’s
lap, one at a time, to talk about her travels. This was also when
my mother told me I had to be polite and talk about my latest news
in regards to school. I used to get so nervous and sometimes had
the courage to belt out random statements like, “I LOVE
BUTTONS!”, after I heard some outrageously fabulous tale of
Geneva’s travel to China. Think about your family….is there a
woman you look up to, that defied the stereotypical expectations of
‘womanhood’ and accomplished oodles anyway? In commemoration
of all the fantastic women in our lives and country, I urge you to
participate in a local event to celebrate the prominence of all
women’s accomplishments on March 8th! Click here to see
if there are events near you.
52 Ways to be OUTSpoken
is part of OUTSpoken
Families, and provides LGBTQ parents/allies with creative, doable
actions to help secure family equality all year long. To increase
the reach of 52 Ways, Family Equality Council staff will blog about
each upcoming “way” the week before it takes effect. People who
sign up to become OUTSpoken
receive weekly email reminders about 52 Ways. To download the 2008
version of 52 Ways, click here.