This is the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day!
Today is International Women's Day ... Women around the globe unite and celebrate all that it means to be "woman". Google is supporting a "Meet on The Bridge Event", where you can meet with other women in your part of the world and celebrate: http://www.google.com/events/iwd2011/.
My wish for all women is that they true find peace and happiness. That they find validation in a world that so often takes them for granted and underestimates them. That they rise above oppression in all of its many guises to be all that they are capable of being. That they see other women as allies, friends ... That they stand up for one another and support one another. That God will protect them from violence ... especially our young daughters. That women feel worthy of love and find validation for their spirit in some form ... even if it is just the whisper of hope and love carried upon the mystic winds of the mysterious universe.
God Bless all women on this day, and always, here on this rapidly spinning blue planet!!
Peace & Love,
~M
P.S. Did some searching on the history behind this day of celebrating women and this is what I found. The very first International Women's Day was observed on 19 March 1908, in Germany, following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. It is believed that the idea of having an international women's day was in response to the rapid world industrialization and economic expansion at the turn of the 20th century, which led to poor working conditions in many factories ... where many of the workers, in some of the poorest working conditions, were women.
But the idea of an International Women's Day became global in nature after a tragic fire at a U.S. Clothing Company, The Triangle Shirtwaist Company, took the lives of 146 women on March 25th, 1911. This day was put in place across the globe to honor the 146 women who tragically lost their lives on this day and to help bring women's issues into the global consciousness.
"The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, who either died from the fire or jumped to their deaths. Most of the victims were recent immigrant Jewish women aged sixteen to twenty-three. [1] Many of the workers could not escape the burning building because the managers had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits. People jumped from the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, which fought for better working conditions for sweatshop workers. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was located in the Asch Building, now known as the Brown Building of Science, a New York University facility. It has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and a New York City landmark.[2]" (source: see links listed below)
Today the International Women's Day celebrates women's achievements in social, economic and political arenas. In many countries around the world the day is considered an official holiday.
Here are some interesting links if you're interested in learning more:
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire
Here is an interesting Radio Broadcast from today, sent to me by a friend living in San Francisco:
http://vaca.bayradio.com/kgo_archives/kgo_player.php?day=2&hour=20
VIP Note: skip to the 5:00 min. time frame ... The history part of the broadcast is most interesting. As is the given definition for "feminist". The last part about the "whiney white mens' groups" is, however, almost laughable ... Well, judge for yourself.
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