(Alright, alright, listen to the song and then enter the post since it is depressing)
We've all done school projects that highlight all the accomplishments that women have done and contributed throughout history and we've all been through our Ginger "Girl Power!" phase when watching
Spice World, but this article highlights some struggles women are facing today that are horrendous. Since it is
international women's day, there are a lot of women across the globe who don't have the rights you do -- and if we're still fighting issues and sexism everyday, one can only imagine how much more difficult it is for them to overcome those obstacles. In the true spirit of helping a sista out, hopefully this spreads some awareness and inspires some action:
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On International Women’s Day, we have a number of groundbreaking accomplishments to celebrate. This year alone, women in the U.S.
won the right to serve on the front lines in combat and President Obama inched closer to pushing for
equal pay for men and women.Global health for women has also seen some major boons, too.
The number of mothers who die during childbirth has been reduced by almost 50 percent and HIV drug prices have fallen by more than 99 percent since 2000.
But we’re not done fighting yet.
Women across the globe still face horrifying abuse and health risks, including sexual exploitation and genital mutilation, devastating injustices that are in our power to eliminate in this lifetime. Read through disturbingly sad truths women face and find out
how you can get involved in improving the lives of women across the world.Female Genital Mutilation![]()
FACT: In Africa alone, 101 million girls have undergone female genital mutilation, a cultural practice that’s meant to keep girls chaste, but subjects them to intense torture in the process.
With no anesthetic, a girl’s genitals are carved out (including her clitoris and labia) and what remains is stitched together, allowing a small enough aperture for urination and menstruation, which can lead to serious health consequences, New York Times' Nicholas Kristof reports.
What you can do: While the practice has been recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, activists say that through education and raising awareness, we can work to ultimately change the culture to end the practice. Find out more
here.
Maternal Health![]()
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FACT: Every year, life-threatening complications from pregnancy and childbirth claim the lives of nearly 300,000 women, according to the Gates Foundation. While the number of mothers who died in childbirth has been reduced by nearly 50 percent, it is within our reach to reduce that figure to zero.
What you can do: Low-cost medical interventions with local healthcare providers are critical to protecting and saving the lives of expectant mothers. Learn more about how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Maternal, Neonatal & Child Health is advocating for mothers and how you can get involved
here.
Fistula(I'll spare you any pictures, but you can imagine how bad it is)
FACT: Fistula –- a hole that develops between a woman’s vagina and bladder or rectum –- is one of the most devastating birth injuries and it affects between 30,000 to 50,000 women a year simply because they can’t afford proper medical care.
The condition leads to such severe incontinence that the woman’s body leaks urine and feces, and oftentimes, the smell becomes so unbearable that her husband will force her out of the home to fend for herself.What you can do: Support the Fistula Foundation, which raises awareness for the condition and funding for repair, prevention, and educational programs worldwide to help eliminate fistula. Get involved
here.
Rape![]()
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FACT: One in three women on the planet will be raped in her lifetime, that’s a total of 1 billion women subjected to devastating violence.
What you can do: Join 1 Billion Rising, a global movement that came together on Valentine’s Day to demand an end to violence against women, and continues to fight for women’s right to live in a world where their safety is never at stake. Get involved
here.
More at the Source (I know, I know, but it's a list and you know how hard ass ONTD is about how many are allowed via the rules).
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Use this post to discuss the issues, discuss any problems you've face in your life, and also celebrate anything great that women have done and will contribute. Go on, gworls.
