 |
| Peter Bell in Sri Lanka / Photo by Harsha de Silva © CARE. |
More than a century ago, working women in industrializing countries, facing poor conditions and low wages, began standing up for their political and economic rights. Marking an 1857 protest of New York City garment workers, women around the world joined in solidarity for the first International Women's Day in 1911. Every year on March 8, we at CARE -- along with the United Nations, the international community and women all around the globe -- honor the sacrifices and achievements of women.
Despite great strides in gender equity since that first Women's Day, the vast majority of people living in extreme poverty are still women. Of the one billion illiterate people in the developing world, two-thirds are female. And the proportion of women living with HIV/AIDS is steadily on the rise. CARE is committed to joining women and men in their fight for positive change and to helping women to invest in themselves, their families and their communities. Whether promoting equal access to education for girls in Afghanistan or providing business training and small loans to women in Tanzania, CARE is empowering women and building brighter futures for today's girls.
On March 8, as we mark the distance still to be traveled until every person enjoys full and equal access to the rights of all human beings, let us also celebrate the courage and vision of mothers, daughters and sisters everywhere.
 |
Peter D. Bell
President |
