In addition to it being National Breakfast Day, today is also the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day – a day to celebrate the accomplishments of women and for women around the globe.
When I think of women’s rights, I think of major accomplishments we’ve achieved in this country to elevate women to equal stature – things like the right to vote, Title IX in sports and women being named to major posts in academia, politics, business and organizations.
What I don’t think about, but have recently learned, is how inequality for women around the globe can have drastic consequences. At a conference I attended a year or two ago on sustainability and hunger, I learned that in order to fight world hunger, we must address and remove biases toward women and children. And just today, I read a news story about a UN/FAO report suggesting that if we give women the same tools and resources as we give to men – such as access to land, financial services and education – we could reduce hunger by up to 17% – that’s 150 million fewer hungry people.
We’ve got a long way to go, ladies, but I do feel like we’re making progress. Here’s to another 100 years!
