Saturday, March 08, 2008
International Women's Day
Last year, on 'International Women's Day', seminars were organized by Lebanese NGOs (such as KAFA and Helem), to shed some lights on 'domestic violence against women' (which is still very 'en vogue' in Arabic societies), on Lebanese laws which still consider a woman's status as inferior to a man's status; and 'Road Tables' tackling subjects such as : Women's Rights in the Arab/Muslim World, Women in Lebanon amidst patriarchal society, Lesbian Identity in Lebanon, etc. (just to mention a few).Lebanon
International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. [1]
International Women's Day is a day to celebrate the gains women have made over the years and to bring our attention to the issues that still face us. Most of all, it's a day to recognise that we, as women, have made and continue to make a difference (..) [2]
This year's International Women's Day focuses on investing in women and girls. Abundant evidence shows that when women are given an opportunity to express their potential, health indicators rapidly improve for themselves, for households and for communities. Investment in women and girls not only contributes to socioeconomic progress, but is also an investment in health development. [3]
Around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) marks a celebration of the economic, social, cultural and political achievements of women.
Throughout history we have witnessed the struggle of ordinary women seeking to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for 'liberty, equality, fraternity' marched in Versailles to demand women's suffrage. Today in the 'modern' world we still find that women are paid less than their male counterparts, experience daily violence at the hands of abusers and go unrecognized as essential providers in thriving economies. [4]
Last year, on 'International Women's Day', seminars were organized by Lebanese NGOs (such as KAFA and Helem), to shed some lights on 'domestic violence against women' (which is still very 'en vogue' in Arabic societies), on Lebanese laws which still consider a woman's status as inferior to a man's status; and 'Road Tables' tackling subjects such as : Women's Rights in the Arab/Muslim World, Women in Lebanon amidst patriarchal society, Lesbian Identity in Lebanon, etc. (just to mention a few).
Labels: human rights, women's rights
