Enduring Religion: Third Sunday of Lent with Bishop June
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, marked annually on March 8th. International Women's Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900's.
In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs - and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament - greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.
Each year has a theme, the theme for 2021 being, 'Choose To Challenge' - A challenged world is an alert world.
Sometimes speaking up, speaking out can be a scary prospect, terrifying even, but is is so important that we challenge people to view things in a new light or from a new perspective. This year's IWD theme calls for us all to be brave - not just women, but men too! We must be brave enough to speak up for what we believe in, and stand up against the ongoing discriminations, while challenging others on their preconceived ideas. And some must be brave enough to acknowledge that women are no different, no less, than themselves.
According to the World Economic Forum, sadly none of us will see gender parity in our lifetimes, and nor likely will many of our children. Gender parity will not be attained for almost a century.
So today, be brave! Let's try not to shirk away from those uncomfortable conversations. Let's look to support our mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, neighbours and colleagues. And let's challenge those who refuse to see them as anything but equals!
To learn more about how you can show your support, head over to the International Women's Day website to join the IWD community and help call out and stamp out inequality as we continue to work our way toward a fully inclusive world.
Tyann has shared with me the following link of the 'Red Nuns' of Ireland dancing to Jerusalema. Do click through and enjoy! I am sorry I can not embed the video in this page!
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