March 1st began women’s history month, and the timing could not be more appropriate or more fortuitous. It seems like here in the US, women are under attack. The most private and personal aspects of women’s lives are being thrust into the political platform, with advice like “put aspirin between your legs” becoming the newest soundbyte.
Of course, it’s not just in the US where women are experiencing an overwhelming sense that they are losing their voice and their power. I read a story recently about widows in India whose husbands committed suicide, leaving these women with everything to do on their farms and in their families with no real help from their society. Women continue to struggle for rights and power in countries like Afghanistan and Iran. In fact, I recently read another article about how women in Afghanistan are setting themselves on fire to get out of their abusive marriages.
With all of this bad news, it’s important, perhaps now more than ever, to take note of women that are improving the world, women who have power and are using it for good, and women who are doing their best to help others.
To that end, I’d like to invite you to celebrate Oxfam International’s Women’s Day, which will take place on March 8, 2012. On this day, Oxfam invites you to celebrate women in 1 of 3 ways online.
1. Send an e-greeting card to a woman you care about
2. Present a woman with a personalized online certificate indicating why you appreciate her (these can be saved out as JPGs and posted to Facebook walls, which could be really fun!)
3. Write your own blog post encouraging other people to involve themselves in the first two parts of the campaign
Of course, women (and men) should be honored every day, but sometimes it’s good to take a specific moment in time and say, “Hey, I need to make sure you know I appreciate you.”
Let’s join Oxfam and tell the world about the women we admire. They need to hear it!
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johan-gril/6821594233/ via Creative Commons