International Women’s Day

March 8, 2010

Bell Ringing Initiative

The Iowa Conference United Methodist Women invite everyone in Iowa to celebrate the Bell Ringing Initiative on March 8th, International Women’s Day.  Everyone is encouraged to ring bells on this day; church bells, hand bells, school bells, wherever you live.  When you hear the bells you will know someone is “ringing” out for women’s rights as human rights.

Did you know that women account for 70% of the world’s poor and that 80% of all refugees globally are women and children?

You might ask, “Why would I ring the bells for International Women’s Day (IWD)?”  You “ring out” to speak out for women’s rights as human rights, to urge governments to make good their promises to ensure women’s equality, and to stand with women for their basic rights to vote, to be educated, to live free of violence. We will ring bells in Iowa on March 8th because empowering women is the most effective tool for development and poverty reduction; families are healthier when women acquire literacy skills, full implementation of Universal Human Rights contributes to conditions of peace, and literacy of women is seen as a major tool in addressing other basic human needs.

International Women’s Day (IWD) was first held on March 19, 1911.  Today IWD is an occasion marked by women’s groups around the world.  The International Women’s Day website states, “IWD inspires women to achieve their full potential.  Celebrated globally from Alaska to Zambia, IWD has been recognized since 1908 to highlight women’s equality worldwide.”   This is the second year Iowa Conference United Methodist Women have invited everyone to participate in a Bell Ringing Initiative on IWD.  Last year the Iowa event for IWD highlighted the 10th anniversary of the Beijing 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women.

The Beijing Declaration states in part: “We, The Governments, participating in the Fourth World Conference on Women, (are) determined to advance the goals of equality, development and peace for all women everywhere in the interest of all humanity,” This lengthy document lists goals that governments are determined to achieve and principles of belief that under gird action to be taken.  One of these statements includes these words: “Women’s rights are human rights”.

Doris Howard, Iowa Conference United Methodist Women    

rdhoward@alpinecom.net