I've been searching for inspiration to write this post for the past few weeks. I might've written the first paragraph about 10 - 15 times, and then erased it slowly by pressing backspace. So I decided to start at the beginning...well, my beginning.
(photo credit earth sky.org)
Growing up I was daddy's little girl. I played games with my brothers and was very very mischievous...but to my dad I could do no wrong. What I loved the most about my dad was how he treated the women in his life. He treated his mother with love and respect, his sisters like princesses and my mother like a queen. He always showed my mother love and affection privately and publicly. Growing up I believed and thought all men were as good as my father. Why would I think otherwise?
Due to medical requirements at the young age of seven I was sent to live with my grandparents in Canada and thus began my life in the west. I missed my family so much -- especially my father. My father's love was replaced by four uncles and grandparents. Again I experienced love, kindness and respect at the hands of the men that continued to raise me.
The most amazing thing I found about living in Canada or the west was how readily available news and information was. I learned so much about the world, politics and history. I blame my grandfather for turning me into a news junkie.
In all my research and news obsession, I began to notice a discrepancy in how women were treated versus men. I remember seeing in the news reports about men getting higher salaries than women. Watching "Our History" TV commercials about when women were allowed to vote. I began to question "why was the state of women always secondary?" Granted things are much better today than they were in the early 19 and 20 century but to quote Jack Nicholson "Is this as good as it gets?"
I took advantage of my freedom of speech at the age of 13 and began to write about bullying, women issues and about injustices around the world. Sometimes it would be in the form of poetry, classroom essays and a few times I actually made it in to the Montreal Gazette.
What I noticed growing up was that unless women issues made it onto the news, every day struggles of women went unnoticed.
With so many international atrocities committed against women on a daily basis, I as a woman in the west sometimes feel that there is very little that we can do. But living in the lap of luxury doesn't remove the sadness one feels when they see the news reports. I feel overwhelmed by the state of women and believe we should act more.
Atrocities are not just limited to developing societies; we must never forget what happened in Europe at the end of the last century. Bosnia Herzegovina experienced an ethnic cleansing...but worse of all was the torture, rape and overall treatment of women. Currently sexual crimes against women in the Congo are a part of the war tactics to destroy entire villages and their society at large.
Like the Holocaust, we must never forget this and prevent it from happening again. But it hasn't ended -- the recent rape crisis in India that had always been there finally got some public attention. This is a tell tale sign about the state of women in the world today. If there isn't a huge outcry it will fall through the cracks.
Domestic violence and rape is a regular occurrence in our society even in the west.
Are we so far removed from the struggles faced by women? We can take a stand right here at home. We can we end the deadly silence on domestic abuse and the stigma attached to discussing rape.
Here are a few things you can do right now:
Social media -- use the power of the Internet to make your voice heard. Example: tweet about the need to end rape and use hashtag #endrape2013 Find a global organization you can support like http://10x10act.org -- global campaign to help educate girls around the world Find a local organization -- we are supporting the Amal Canter for Women (a Montreal women's shelter) and their Purple Bow tie campaign Hope is something that education celebrates. This International Women's Day let us educate ourselves and the society at large...especially the men around us about the importance of celebrating their other half.
"Educate a man and you educate one person; educate a woman and you educate a whole nation." -African proverb
Originally posted on http://fatekeep.com and written by Amber Rehman and Shadi Sakr
Which Women Might Run In 2016?
Hillary Rodham Clinton(01 of20)
Open Image ModalSusana Martinez(02 of20)
Open Image ModalSusana Martinez, a Republican, was elected in 2010, becoming the first female governor of New Mexico and first female Hispanic governor in the United States. Her name was also floated as a potential running mate to Mitt Romney in 2012, but she was ultimately passed over for the job. The GOP's poor showing among women and Latinos in this year's presidential election, however, could make Martinez a strong potential choice in 2016.-- Sarafina Wright (credit:AP)
Elizabeth Warren(03 of20)
Open Image ModalKelly Ayotte(04 of20)
Open Image ModalKirsten Gillibrand(05 of20)
Open Image ModalCathy McMorris Rodgers(06 of20)
Open Image ModalKamala Harris(07 of20)
Open Image ModalKamala Harris, the 48-year-old Democratic attorney general of California, is the first African-American and first Indian-American to serve California in this capacity. She served as a co-chair for President Barack Obama's reelection campaign and received a high-profile speaking role at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte over the summer. Harris is perhaps best known for her successful efforts to secure a $26 billion mortgage settlement from the nation's biggest banks on behalf of homeowners in early 2012.-- Sarafina Wright (credit:AP)
Condoleezza Rice(08 of20)
Open Image ModalThe first African-American woman to serve as secretary of state would certainly be a trailblazer if she ran for president and became the first female commander-in-chief. A Republican, Rice is an accomplished pianist, holds a Ph.D in political science and has served as provost of Stanford University. She served as President George W. Bush's first national security adviser before moving to the State Department. Though she has never run for elected office, she was a popular choice to be Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, due to her foreign policy credentials and ability to bridge the GOP's gap with women and non-white voters.Correction: An earlier version of this text misstated that Rice was the first African-American secretary of state. She was the first African-American woman to serve in that position.-- Daniel Lippman (credit:AP)
Amy Klobuchar(09 of20)
Open Image ModalKlobuchar, a member of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, has been a U.S. senator from Minnesota since 2007, most recently cruising to reelection in November. She is currently serving on the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, among others. A graduate of Yale and the University of Chicago Law School, she served as the Hennepin County attorney from 1999 to 2007. She is pro-choice and supported President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. -- Daniel Lippman (credit:AP)
Nikki Haley(10 of20)
Open Image ModalThe current Republican governor of South Carolina, Haley won her first term in 2010 after serving for five years as a member of the state house. She is only the second Indian-American to serve as governor. Endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement, Haley takes a hard line on immigration and is ardently anti-tax.Many have touted her as one of the new post-racial faces of the Republican Party in the South, and she would certainly appeal to the GOP's right-wing elements. Haley was a visible surrogate for Mitt Romney during the 2012 election and was even included on his short list for vice president, but she has not indicated one way or the other if she would put herself in the running for the GOP nomination in 2016.-- Sarah Bufkin (credit:AP)
Maggie Hassan(11 of20)
Open Image ModalMaggie Hassan, the Democratic governor-elect of New Hampshire, will become only the second woman to have held the state's highest office when she is sworn in next year. Hassan was endorsed by former President Bill Clinton over the summer and has been praised as a strong fundraiser, having broken the record for the most money raised by a first-time gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire.-- Ian Gray (credit:AP)
Mary Fallin(12 of20)
Open Image ModalA former lieutenant governor, member of Congress and current governor of Oklahoma, Republican Mary Fallin would bring solid conservative credentials to the GOP ticket. She won her gubernatorial race easily in 2010 and will reach her term limit if she runs and wins in 2014. A Fallin candidacy in 2016, however, would run the risk of bringing about comparisons to Sarah Palin's in 2008 -- as a deeply religious, female governor of a sparsely populated and reliably conservative state. She even received Palin's endorsement in 2010.-- Ian Gray (credit:AP)
Jennifer Granholm(13 of20)
Open Image ModalSarah Palin(14 of20)
Open Image ModalThe former Republican governor of Alaska, Palin shot to fame after she was picked as Arizona Sen. John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate in 2008. Since then, she's become a Fox News contributor and a hero to many conservatives and Tea Party members. She also wrote the best-seller "Going Rogue: An American Life" in 2009 and has dabbled in reality television. Though she still has star-power in some circles, Democrats and many independents remain skeptical about Palin’s policy chops.-- Daniel Lippman (credit:AP)
Michelle Obama(15 of20)
Open Image ModalDespite her astronomical public approval rating, Michelle Obama would be something of a surprise candidate in 2016, considering her husband's current role.You might expect to see the first lady as a surrogate for the future Democratic nominee though. Her popularity and skills as a campaigner will likely be called upon by whomever gets the nod.-- Sarafina Wright (credit:AP)
Lisa Murkowski(16 of20)
Open Image ModalIn 2010, Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski became the first successful write-in candidate for U.S. Senate since South Carolina's Strom Thurmond in 1954. She was first appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Gov. Frank Murkowski, after having previously served in the Alaska House of Representatives. Her candidacy in 2016 would likely face headwinds from the GOP base, due to her relatively moderate positions on abortion and stem cell research. Additionally, she was one of just five Republicans to support the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which passed in 2009.-- Sarafina Wright (credit:AP)
Christine Gregoire(17 of20)
Open Image ModalGregoire, formerly the Democratic governor of the state of Washington, is the second female to serve in that position. A lawyer, Gregoire was elected attorney general of her state in 1992 before being elected governor in 2004 in a razor-tight race against Republican Dino Rossi. She was reelected in 2008 and also served as the chairwoman of the National Governors Association for the 2010-11 term. One of her top accomplishments as governor included a plan to raise revenue to fund new transportation improvements to fix roads in Washington. She is a supporter of gay marriage, which was passed in her state in 2012.-- Daniel LippmanThis slide was first published before the 2012 elections and has been updated to reflect that Gregoire left office in January 2013. (credit:AP)
Michele Bachmann(18 of20)
Open Image ModalKristi Noem(19 of20)
Open Image ModalPam Bondi(20 of20)
Open Image ModalAs Florida's Republican attorney general, Pam Bondi was a leader in the failed effort to overturn President Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act. At the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., Bondi drew attention for her assertion that Obama has a "total disregard for our individual liberty." Given her status as a female public figure serving in a swing state, who has worked to achieve one of the GOP's core goals (repealing Obamacare), expect to hear Bondi's name more in the years to come.-- Ian Gray (credit:AP)