International Women’s Day 2013

Every year the United Nations chooses a theme for that year’s International Women’s Day. This theme is something many organizations choose to build on, make their own, or change it completely. This year, 2013, I believe the UN has chosen a great theme: “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.”

International Women’s Day has been celebrated since the early 1900s and is still thriving, and unfortunately necessary, today. We live in a country where the Violence Against Women Act comes up for reauthorization too often, with too much debate about its merits. Really, who could be against anything that aims to reduce violence against women?

Campaigning against violence against women does not diminish any pursuance of eliminating violence for all humans, but there is a particular reason why this must be a focus of the world at this time:

The United Nations General Assembly defines “violence against women” as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” The 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women noted that this violence could be perpetrated by assailants of either gender, family members and even the “State” itself.

Women are often the victims of violence simply because they are women.

To end these horrific acts, it must be a decision made by our local communities and global society. We must prioritize a solution for all. What kind of world do we want our daughters, and sons, to grow up to inherit?

Take Action

1. Follow @womensday on twitter #womensday
2. Network at facebook.com/internationalwomensday.
3. Celebrate and understand women’s strength and  through photographs.
4. Take action with We Are Equals: Join the Big Inequality Debate. The Facebook App showing your 1950s life is interesting.
5. Learn more about International Women’s Day.
6. Share, share, share!

What will you do today to support women?

This post was written for the Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of Mom Bloggers for Social Good members who focus on maternal health, children, hunger, and women and girls.