International Women's Day

So, Saturday was International Women's Day, which I unfortunately did not realize until Sunday, so I didn't do anything to celebrate.

Or did I?

Well, I got to thinking about what I did do on Saturday and how it could be related to a celebration of International Women's Day. On Saturday, I got up around 9 to read a book for my African American Women Writer's literature class, finished it, and then worked on my final Chinese memorization. I went to lunch in the caf and chatted with my friends. I did a little more studying and went to dinner with my girlfriends at a Mexican restaurant in town. Then we all came back to my roommate's and my dorm and played Apples to Apples and creeped around on Facebook. And then we parted ways; I did a little more reading and went to sleep.

I, obviously, did a lot of homework on Saturday. I worked towards my education, a wonderful privilege that I would mostly likely not have had 100 years ago. I am so thankful that I am even allowed to get an education, but to be at a college that I choose, in classes I want to be in, taught by brilliant female professors, and in solidarity with my female classmates, who outnumber my male classmates in every room is incredible. Then to have great female friends to joke and laugh with, who support each other, care for each other, and grow together is so lucky.

However, it sadly isn't this way all over the world. Of young illiterate people in the world, women constitue 2/3 of them. Women, both in America and abroad, are shamed into ignorance about their bodies. The right of women to control their reproductive functions is in danger. Women are still raped as stolen property in war. Women are still raped in marriage by friends, relatives, and strangers. Young girls' are sexualized in the media. Female genital mutilation is commonplace in some African communities. Girls are consistently denied education in regions of the world.

Although, I did miss International Women's Day, March is Women's Herstory Month, so please take the time to educate yourself on women's issues in the United States and in other areas of the world.