Happy Women’s History Month and a belated Happy International Women’s Day!
On March 8, the 100th International Women’s Day took place all over the world. The first National Women’s Day was held in the U.S. in 1908, and the first international one took place in 1911. According to the holiday’s website, it was honored for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19.
While each country is free to determine its own theme for the year, the site for International Women’s Day listed the overarching theme for 2011 as “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.” The celebration initially arose out of a time of unrest – when women were demanding better working conditions, better pay, the right to vote, and numerous other freedoms that men alone were guaranteed in the early 1900’s – and the celebration is still important since that equal access hasn’t yet been fully achieved.
According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, “Census statistics released September 16, 2010 show that the women still earn 77 percent of what men earn.” There have been efforts over the years to correct this inequality, but most legislation has been defeated.
The committee reports that the most recent attempt was defeated last fall, when “on Nov. 17. 2010, the Paycheck Fairness Act suffered a procedural defeat on a 58-41 vote in the Senate to consider the bill. The bill had been passed by the House of Representatives on Jan. 9, 2009 and had widespread support of the public, as shown in polling, and the White House. All Republicans voted against considering the bill; see the vote count here.“
There are many paths that can be taken to achieve the goal of equal opportunity, even without government intervention. For example, the Women’s Resource Center here at BC is currently working on a new women’s social justice project to help create a computer literacy program for local women’s shelters. Programs like these teach women technical skills to make them more competitive in the workplace. If you’re interested in helping out, you can email them at wrc@bc.edu.
The month of March is also Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “Our History Is Our Strength.” Their website explains the theme with this statement: “Our shared history unites families, communities, and nations. Although women’s history is intertwined with the history shared with men, several factors – social, religious, economic, and biological – have worked to create a unique sphere of women’s history.”
Very much in line with the Jesuit ideals that pervade BC’s campus, Women’s History Month is the celebration of the joint efforts of many people for the achievement of a just cause.
Although BC does not offer a major in Women’s and Gender Studies, it does have a minor. It also has lots of resources on campus addressing women’s needs, including the Women’s Resource Center (WRC). Twice a year, the WRC hosts weeklong programs dedicated to raising awareness about issues that affect women – they sponsor Love Your Body Week every fall and, next week, they will again hold the very popular C.A.R.E. (Concerned About Rape Education) Week to round out the month of March.
BC’s Take Back the Night is often the highlight of C.A.R.E Week. Next Wednesday night in O’Neill Plaza, survivors will tell their stories while the community gathers to show their support for the speakers and their resolution against violence. The message from the event is to “reclaim the empowerment and sense of safety that was lost” during acts of violence. This event combines the stories and pasts of many different people to create a place of safety and support for women (and men) who have survived such violence.
So don’t forget to come check out the C.A.R.E. Week events and to celebrate your woman-hood for the rest of March!