International Women’s Day 2007

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Mar07/Marshall04.htm

International Women’s Day 2007
We Stand with the Women of the World
by Lucinda Marshall
www.dissidentvoice.org
March 4, 2007

For the past 5,000 years, give or take a century or two, there has been a persistent tendency to leave unexamined the impact that social, economic, environmental, and military policies have on the lives of women throughout the world. As a result, women make up the majority of those living in poverty, millions of women have died needlessly due to lack of healthcare and safe living conditions and there is a worldwide pandemic of violence against women.



For those reasons, International Women’s Day (IWD), which is observed on March 8 is a time not only to celebrate women’s lives and achievements, but also a chance to join hands in solidarity with women around the globe and to focus much needed attention on the many problems women face today.



It has been said that the health of a society is measured by how it treats its women. With one in three women throughout the world likely to experience sexual assault during her lifetime, it is not a stretch to say that this society is in crisis. In recognition of the systemic and pervasive violence that impacts the lives of women every day, the United Nations’ theme for its 2007 observance of IWD is “Ending Impunity for Violence against Women.” As Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues has pointed out, “When you rape, beat, maim, mutilate, burn, bury, and terrorize women, you destroy the essential life energy on the planet. You force what is meant to be open, trusting, nurturing, creative, and alive to be bent, infertile, and broken.”



Here in the U.S. for the sixth year in a row, President Bush’s annual budget request for funding the Violence Against Women Act once again falls short of the amount of its Congressional authorization. And while the President will no doubt serve up the usual annual platitudes about honoring women on March 8th, his administration has, as it has every year since 2001, also requested cuts in funding for maternal and child health as well as family planning.



Meanwhile, more than half a million women worldwide will die this year from the complications of pregnancy and childbirth, including 68,000 from illegal and unsafe abortions. According to The Lancet, “an estimated 90% of deaths from unsafe abortions and 20% of obstetric mortality could be avoided with improved access to contraception. Yet the latest figures show that donor funding for family planning has decreased by 36%.”

FULL article at link.

[noamnety]

1. Thank you for posting this

It's a great statement on why women's issues still exist as women's issues.

[Morgana LaFey]

2. Ain't that the truth?

Depressing, isn't it?

I watched both Christiane Northrup's and Suze Orman's specials this weekend which are fundraisers for PBS. I was SO impressed with both of them. Northrup said: when women are fulfilled and happy, so is the whole community because when women are happy, they go work in the community and help make everyone happy. Orman said much the same thing, and really promotes self-empowerment for women. They are wonderful specials if they're still available to be seen.

[noamnety]

3. reading today's threads in light of tomorrow's date

I feel overwhelmingly discouraged.

[Morgana LaFey]

4. Good point

And I've been mostly mired down in ONE thread, so I dont' even know what other garbage is out there waiting to trip me up and throw me on the ground, figurativey speaking (I hope).

:hi: