In a society where a nude selfie of a certain celebrity crashes the internet, my motivation on this International Women's Day is to remind each other (men and women alike) of the history (and continued struggles) of women world wide.
In my native Canada, women were not deemed PERSONS until 1929, 87 years ago. The "Famous Five" as they are known: Emily, Irene, Nellie, Louise and Henrietta fought until women were equal to men in Canadian legislative law. WTG Ladies!
My grandmother who was born December 25, 1898 did not realize full "personhood" until she reached 31 years old.
The theme for this year's International Women's Day is #PledgeForParity. The United Nations is pushing "Planet 50-50 Gender Equality by 2030." How can we make this happen? Equality is still a struggle in both developed and non-developing countries. We need women as political leaders, decision makers, advocates and mentors to each other. Women in poverty need the tools to earn income, be safe and support themselves and their families. It is not an easy "Band-Aid" fix, it will need global messaging and awareness to bring forth this movement.
I take inspiration from my Canadian sisters, back in the early 1900's who continued to fight and won. We all need to keep the fight going, not just on March 8th every year. And it is not just women supporting women, but the great fathers, brothers, sons and political leaders that support the cause and empower women world wide. We all need to work together to make change happen.
Support your sisters (and your brothers) xo vagi
