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By Abby Born  As we enter into March, we enter in with fresh minds as Spring is clearly on its way. The bitter cold winds are finally beginning to subside, and the piles of gray snow that have tormented us all winter are finally starting to thaw. It is difficult to begin March without the prospect of positive change, as the beauty that has been trapped under the ice since November is finally freed. How fitting it is that March is the month to recognize Women’s History, and more specifically, that March 8th is International Women’s Day.   The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Days on March 8, 1975. Since then, March 8th has been recognized by Member States as a day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. March 8th is a day to reflect on the progress made for women, but it is also a day to recognize how much farther women still have to go to achieve equality. Even though women are now graduating from U.S. colleges faster than men (3:2), women still earn 77 cents for every dollar that men earn. The gender gap still exists, even 50 years after the feminist movement took off. March is the month for change and transformation. This year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme: Pledge for Parity. For not only for the month of March, but for every day of every month of every year, you can pledge to help women and girls achieve their ambitions, challenge conscious and unconscious bias, call for gender-balanced leadership, value women and men’s contributions equally, and create inclusive, flexible cultures. You can make the Parity Pledge at www.internationalwomensday.com and become a force for change this March. On March 8th, there are events happening all around the world to recognize women’s progress and raise money to support the empowerment of women. These events include a Fun Run in Brisbane, Australia, a Gala Lunch in Hong Kong, and a Tech City showcase of women-led businesses and projects across technology and creative industries in London.  Events closer to Milwaukee include a Women’s Day Dance and the Women Who Dare to Make a Difference conference in Chicago. The Women’s Day Dance, located in the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture , will raise money for the Chicago Foundation for Women’s LGTQ Giving Council which is dedicated to supporting queer women and girls in Chicago. The Women Who Dare to Make a Difference Conference will honor women making a difference in communities around the world, featuring speeches from Creative Activists from Rae Luskin’s book The Creative Activist. Tickets are currently available online for both events.  Women’s Day Dance: http://www.cfw.org/?event=2nd-annual-international-womens-day-dance Women Who Dare to Make a Difference Conference: http://www.thewinningadventure.com/ To learn more about how you can take action on March 8th and continue to advocate for gender parity every day, visit www.internationalwomensday.com for events, resources, and more information on female-focused charities and gender-focused groups around the world. Resources“International Women’s Day – March 8.” International Women’s Day. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. http://internationalwomensday.com
“International Women’s Day 2016.” UN Women. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day Warrell, Margie. “Closing the Gender Gap is Everyone’s Business.” 3 March 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2015/03/03/women_own_your_power/#6a9d428a67f6 Images Intro Image http://gobooksparks.com/tag/international-womens-day/ 1st Image http://womenwatch.unwomen.org/international-womens-day 2nd Image http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day 3rd Image http://www.internationalwomensday.com/Events 4th Image http://www.internationalwomensday.com/Activity/3949/International-Women-s-Day-Dance
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