Celebrating International Women’s Day

“Women are the real architects of society.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe.

March 8 is International Women’s Day — a day to focus on expanding women’s civil and human rights around the world as well as commemorating the many women whose achievements on the civic, economic, scientific, political and personal fronts have been vital to world. This is a great video summarizing the history of this day:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld2hfLAvqkA[/youtube]

This year’s theme from the UN is Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all — focusing on the idea that a state that extends social, economic and political rights to its women puts itself on a track for long-term stability. This is an idea that I heard E.O. Wilson talk about once — that you can tell alot about the long-term health of a country by assessing how they treat their women. His idea being that the global economy requires all hands on deck — men and women — in all spheres, otherwise you are destined to a persistent economic and political instability that is very difficult to grow out of. Even NATO this year has gotten into the act – with this video clearly targeted to the Middle-Eastern and Near Asian countries that we’ve always had issues with – highlighting the possibilities of a more peaceful world if women had more say in it:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDghe7j1Tt4[/youtube]

Next year will be the centenary year of International Women’s Day, but you don’t have to wait that long to tell us about the women whose achievements you most admire. Or even to tell us about that you will be doing in the near future to help other women around the world stabilize their lives and to get their rights.