If you know me at all, you know how passionate I am about women’s rights and gender equality – especially in the developing world.

One of my proudest accomplishments in recent years has been my involvement with Dining for Women (DFW). For nearly four years I’ve been a Chapter Leader – which has been an easy (and fun!) way to make a big impact. I simply invite friends to a monthly potluck dinner – and they come with a dish to share and a donation in whatever amount they might have spent to dine out at a restaurant. DFW uses the collected donations from thousands of members to fund a carefully-vetted NGO in the developing world that is dedicated to grassroots support of women and girls (a different program each month).

Here’s one example: In 2013 and 2014 I led philanthropic trips to Vietnam and Cambodia, during which we visited a DFW-funded program. Microloans of approximately $700 were made to single mothers to fund a start-up business. A single mother in Vietnam is ostracized by the community, including her own family … regardless of the situation – even if her husband died or deserted her!

We visited grant recipients at their homes or businesses in the Danang area and, without exception, met a hard-working, proud, empowered woman who was – first and foremost – spending her newly-found income on her children’s education. Their stories were often sad and tragic but the women were moving on and pulling themselves up from despair and poverty – finding dignity, confidence and the hard-won respect of their community. And – they’re re-paying the loan.

It shouldn’t have to be this way, but once a woman has an income, she has value and status from those who thought her to be worthless.

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Why this blog topic? March 8 is International Women’s Day. I was surprised to learn that this is the 104^th anniversary of this event. I’d never heard of it before.

104 years of shining a light on the issue of women’s rights? I was hardly a feminist back in the seventies, but I wore a bracelet that read “ERA” in support of the Equal Rights Amendment: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”  That was the text of the Amendment, which was introduced into every Congress between 1923 and 1972, when it was finally passed and sent to the states for ratification. But it fell short of the three-fourths approval needed.

Thus, in 2015, the U.S. still doesn’t have a simple constitutional amendment banning gender-based discrimination. But it feels like the winds of change are shifting. It seems as if women’s issues are getting more media attention. It’s about time!

Just this week Patricia Arquette concluded her Oscars speech with a call to action about equality for women. Time magazine said that 2014 “may have been the best year for women since the dawn of time.” Emma Watson’s UN speech received wonderful coverage when she spoke about women’s rights and equality. Malala Yousafzai, a 17-year-old Pakistani, was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize after she’d been the target of a Taliban assassin who objected to a girl getting an education.

 “I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard …

we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

–Malala Yousafzai

 

Strong women across the globe are standing up, speaking boldly, inspiring many to do the same. And that’s why I’m writing this blog!

Here are some easy ways to make an impact this International Women’s Day:

 

Nearly 21 million adults (mostly women) and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude and forced labor.

Read. Learn about the most pressing issues facing women globally as you follow Amy Brenneman‘s trip to Peru, America Ferrera‘s visit to India, and Olivia Wilde‘s experiences in Africa.

 

66 million girls are not in school.

Watch.  The film Girl Rising puts a face on these girls and explores the issue. Find a screening near you or host your own!

 

Every two minutes, a woman dies of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Share your story.  Every Mother Counts is collecting birth stories to raise awareness about maternal health.

 

“Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.” 

—Ann Richards

Thank someone.  Is there a woman who inspires you? Let her know! Thank her personally and share on social media with the hashtag #SheInspiresMe. (What’s a hashtag?)

 

A woman is like a teabag—you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt

Come to my Mad Hatter Tea Party!  I am hosting a garden party at my home on March 8 to learn about the issues and NGOs that are supported by Dining for Women. Create a beautiful hat to wear (for Easter, Ladies Day at the Races, etc.) – or, if you prefer, donate your beautiful bonnet to a chemotherapy patient. Register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-womens-day-mad-hatter-tea-party-tickets-15766160009

 

“Just because we can’t do everything doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do something.”

—Bill Clinton

Commit.  Commit to do something. Make every day International Women’s Day. Find a cause or a program that speaks to your heart and do something every day to move it forward. Answer phones at a domestic violence hotline, deliver meals to homebound seniors, start a book club, join a Dining for Women chapter or coach your daughter’s soccer team. Think about what you already love to do and find a way to use it to help others.

“Countries with more gender equality have better economic growth.

Companies with more women leaders perform better.

Peace agreements that include women are more durable.

Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social issues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support.

The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for all.”

—Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

 

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Thanks for reading!  Thanks for sharing your thoughts.  And thanks for sharing this blog post!