International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
The first IWD event was run 100 years before in 1911. 2011 is the Global Centenary Year.
The IWD honours the work of the suffragettes,campaign of the women's right to vote.The word
"suffrage" meaning the right to vote.
The International Women's Day celebrates women's success and reminds of inequities still to be redressed.
This year instead of an article relating to the Day ( such articles you may find in my blog posted,on 8 March 2010, 2009 and 2008 ), I set out below views and quotations by great people:
1.''We are asking people to understand that slavery still exists today; in fact according to a recent New York Times article, if you count the number of women and children in bonded labor,
domestic slavery or sexual slavery today, there are more slaves in the world than at any other time in history". Charlotte Bunch
2.''Women have a lot to say about how to advance women's rights and governments need to learn from that, listen to the movement and respond". Charlotte Bunch
3.''The connection between women's human rights, gender equality, socioeconomic development
and peace is increasingly apparent". Mahnaz Afkhami
4."The world has never yet seen a truly great and virtuous nation, because in degradation of women, the very fountains of life are poisoned at their source". Lucvetia Mott
5."Every time we liberate a woman, we liberate a man". Margaret Mead
6.''As a Goodwill Ambassador for Unifem, I've learned that violence against women knows no boundaries. Join me in helping women worldwide who have suffered unthinkable violence".
Nikole Kidman
7.''We have to free half of the human race, the women, so that they can help to free the other half". Emmeline Pankhurst
8.''I was told Indian women don't think like about equality. But I would like to argue that if they don't think like that,they should be given a real opportunity to think like that". Amartya Sen
9."We 've chosen the path to equality, don't let them turn us around". Geraldine Ferraro
10."If society will not admit of woman's free development, then society must be remodeled". Elizabeth Blackwell
11." A free race cannot be born of slave mothers". Margaret Sanger
12."The history of all times, and of today especially,teaches that...women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves". Louise Otto
13."Equal pay for women is a matter of simple justice". Mary Anderson
14.''Women are the real architects of society". Harriet Beecher Stowe
15.''How important it is to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes". Maya Angelou
16."There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women". Kofi Annan
Woman's Voice
