Mennonite Central Committee

International Women’s Day – Its Significance for Me

Jane Woelk
March 2006

March 8 is International Women’s Day.  February 28, 1909 was the first national Women’s Day in the United States of America.  Here in Canada, 2006 marks the 25th anniversary of our country’s ratification of the most comprehensive international treaty on women’s rights, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  This includes human rights, pay and employment equity laws, maternity and parental benefits, etc.

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress made with regard to women’s rights and to call for further change.  It is a time to celebrate acts of strength and courage on behalf of women all over the globe.

The United Nations has picked up the cause for equal rights for women and the Charter of the United Nations was signed in 1945, to proclaim gender equality as a basic human right.  The United Nations and International Women’s Day have been focusing on the following international issues pertaining to women:

1. Each year in India, about 25,000 brides are burned to death by their in-laws due to insufficient dowries.
2. In some countries, such as Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, some women who have been raped are murdered by their own family members in order to preserve the family’s honour.
3. Twenty-eight African countries still practice female genital mutilation, despite it being outlawed in many of these countries.
4. Using rape as a weapon of war has been a common practice in countries such as Rwanda, Kuwait, Haiti, Yugoslavia, Colombia, Mexico and in Chiapas.

Peace and social progress cannot be accomplished without the equality of women.

Puah and Shiphrah were mid-wives in Egypt during the time of Pharaoh’s reign.  Pharaoh behaved as a tyrant and bully and ordered these women to kill all newborn boys born to Hebrew women.  These two women believed in a God who wanted babies to live however, and refused to kill the male Hebrew newborns.  They chose to stand up against injustice and a wicked King.  Their act of civil disobedience changed the course of history.  They feared God more than man.

For some women, especially of certain cultures, it is difficult to daringly stand up against injustice. For thousands of women around the world, cruelty, abuse and sometimes even death is a part of the culture in which they live. For them, suffering indignities on a daily basis is just a part of life.

There is a saying that “there can be no healing without justice and justice requires courage.”  It is fine for me to proclaim that courage is required for justice to occur.  My life is not threatened by my in-laws because I have come from a poor family and cannot provide a large enough dowry. For me, standing up against injustice is not life-threatening; it can be frightening to write letters, or to confront someone who has hurt someone else, but rarely, if ever have I felt that my life would be in danger if I confronted someone. 

Those of us who live in cultures where it is acceptable for women to speak against injustice, must speak up for women who cannot speak for themselves.  Even in North American, there are thousands of women who feel as though they have no voice.  Because abuse has entered their lives, their self-esteem has taken a beating, and they have learned that if they speak up, the abuse will escalate.  This is the case for many of the people who call MCC for assistance regarding domestic abuse situations.  We can be a voice for them until they gain enough self-esteem to speak for themselves.

I encourage everyone to support the United Nations in their endeavours, MCC in their proactive ways in helping the helpless, and other agencies and individuals who speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.  Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day this year because we are grateful for the great strides which have been made in regards to equal rights for women.  Let’s also pray that much more progress will be made, globally with respect to human rights.  Proverbs 4:18 says “The path of the righteous (those who work for justice) is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (NIV)  May the “full light of day” be yours.

 

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