It's International Women's Day!

Today, March 8, is not only Women's Day, but it is the 100th anniversary of Women's Day. Women's rights are intimately tied with the issues of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. There are so many ways the average person can call attention to these social justice issues!

I am presenting this blog in class tomorrow and I will have a letter and petition for my classmates to sign going to Congressman Jim McDermott (7th district which includes Seattle, Vashon Island, and portions of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Tukwila, SeaTac, and Burien). The letter details how critical it is that the United States supports policy that helps the millions of women around the world with poverty, education, and health.

Here are some other ideas to honor International Women's Day:

• "Join Me on the Bridge" Event:

The largest events are taking place on the Brookyn Bridge in New York, the Millenium Bridge in London, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, but there are over 100 grassroots events on other bridges around the globe. You can use google street view to virtually attend any of these events.

From the video below: Women do 2/3 of the world's work and produce 1/2 of the world's food, yet only make 10% of the world's income and own 1% of the property.

Event site: https://sites.google.com/site/internationalwomensday2011/

• International women's organization CARE is celebrating Women's Day with a TwitChange auction on Ebay. Twitter lovers can bid to have a celebrity follow them or re-tweet them. Proceeds support CARE's programs to help impoverished women around the world!

Auction site: http://stores.ebay.com/twitchangeauction

CARE's site: http://www.care.org/index.asp

• Test your knowledge about women's rights history and violence against women advocacy:

Quiz site: http://www.saynotoviolence.org/quiz

• For $65 (less than $0.20 a day!) you can educate a young girl for an entire year. Research overwhelmingly tells us that education is one of the primary vehicles for lifting oppression and improving the lives of girls and women around the world (it also makes them less vulnerable to sexual exploitation and trafficking!).

To donate $65 (provides books, education, teacher training and other vitals) please go to:
http://www.savethechildren.org/c.cvKSIeO0IjJ4H/b.6231309/site/apps/ka/ec/Product.asp?ProductID=852915

Or visit the Save the Children website to find other ways to get involved:
http://www.savethechildren.org/

• Finally, VISIT THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

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

Cheers!