International Women's Day

[New Dawn]

Have you heard of this holiday? It is officially celebrated on March 8 every year in some parts of Eastern Europe and Asia.

Here is a brief history from this link:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp

"1918 - 1999
Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For decades, IWD has grown from strength to strength annually. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for women's rights and participation in social, political and economic processes. 1975 was designated as 'International Women’s Year' by the United Nations. Women's organisations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale events that honour women's advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.

2000 - 2007
IWD is now an official holiday in Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers."

[Warpy]

1. Other than an announcement by the AM weatherman on one station

I have never seen any evidence of this day being celebrated at all.

Sad.

[Triana]

2. Women Still Need a Day to Amplify Our Voices

...

And when it comes to International Women's Day--founded March 8, 1911, in Copenhagen as part of a socialist movement supporting women as voters, workers and people entitled to safe workplaces--a woman's voice has larger meaning. It's a metaphor for women's equality and responsibility in the world.

...

Vocal Problems

Yet even many supporting Barack Obama are aghast at the difficulty Hillary Clinton's female vocal chords have caused her. Reporters have characterized her voice as "grating," "shrill," "like a scolding mother." TV's Comedy Central host Jon Stewart compared Hillary's laugh--or "cackle"--to the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz," joking that "she'll be our first president you can't spill water on."

Even though Obama has been taking more media heat in recent days, studies by Media Matters, the Center for Media and Public Affairs, and media outlets themselves find Clinton gets substantially more scrutiny. She also sustains vitriolic gender-based attacks such as the Hillary Nutcracker and Roger Stone's (remember him for Nixon's dirty tricks?) Hillary-bashing Web site, Citizens United Not Timid, with an acronym that Jane Fonda discovered can't be spoken on national TV.

These are all classic ways to disregard a woman's voice, literally and symbolically, and by extension deny social and political equality.

...

http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/3518

[lightningandsnow]

3. Awesome!

I'm going to the IWD rally in my city today.... it's my first rally/protest ever so it should be interesting.