International Women's Day - March 8

Good morning, to everyone out there in the blogger world!

Today, March 8, is International Women's Day. Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, wrote an inspiring article for Huffington Post regarding International Women's Day and just how far women have come in the world in the last century. You can read it here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cecile-richards/international-womens-day_b_489752.html

From the article, we are reminded that as men and women who support equality, choice, and most of all each other, this is what we need to do:

• Resubmit the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women to the U.S. Senate for ratification. This document is the only UN treaty that mentions reproductive rights, and the U.S. is one of only seven countries that haven't ratified it.

• Urge Congress to endorse the Obama Administration's recommended590 million for international family planning through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and700 million for maternal and child health. This isn't enough money to ensure that all women can access reproductive health services, nor is it the amount the U.S. should contribute given the size of our economy, but it does represent the largest amount ever included in a federal budget for these purposes.

• Ensure that Congress enact the Global Democracy Promotion Act, which bars future administrations from re-imposing the draconian "global gag rule," which hampered women's access to health care and muzzled many providers from publicly speaking out on the need for safe abortion services.

Please view this short video. It reminds us that all over the world women are expected to make important decisons in the home, in the classroom, in their careers, and even in public office but we are NOT allowed to make the most important decisions of all: those made about our health in our doctor's office.

Please remember this today as we celebrate all women all over the globe for the precious resource that we are. All we're trying to do is "build a safer and healthier place to be a woman" so do this for all of the women in your life!

-The Revering Feminist