Guess what ladies? This month is OUR month, and it’s the perfect time to acknowledge where we stand as a community of women. More than ever, this year has been a time when we are being recognized by the media, political leaders, and global organizations, because a major conversation about equal rights has been sparked. For us as women seeking equality on all levels, this effort is incredible. Let’s take a look at the big moments that we’ve recently witnessed around the world:
The No Ceilings Project is an initiative that was founded by the Clinton Foundation in 2013. The goal is to ensure full participation of women around the globe. This year on International Women’s Day (March 8th), an advertisement was released, removing A-List, female celebrities from the screen to make a statement. Stars like Cameron Diaz, Amy Poehler and Sienna Miller stated statistics that are hard to ignore. If you haven’t had the chance to see it, check it out below:
The initiative is one of the many things that have been a part of a nation-wide discussion that is promisingly getting more and more attention. If you tuned into the Oscar’s this year, you probably witnessed the empowering moment when Patricia Arquette stood up for women’s rights during her acceptance speech.
“To every women who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America,” said Arquette. These words came with plenty of excitement and controversy but certainly got people talking about the issues.
In global matters, the UN came together on March 10th to announce their initiative: “Planet 50-50 by 2030,” which gives gender inequality a set expiration date of 15 years, world-wide. Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Hilary Clinton, Melinda Gates and Patricia Arquette were just a few of many speakers at the event, alongside incredible musical performances. Check out photos from the event below:
And yes, there has also been plenty going on right here at USD! Our campus hosted a Women’s Month Kickoff, a “Why Gender Matters” discussion, and close to 10 other events on the topics of diversity and gender equality. These inspiring moments can serve as motivation for YOU to make this conversation transcend past the month of March and into your everyday lives, until the “50-50” is achieved.