Celebrate International Women's Day!

March 8th: Today is International Women's Day. It is celebrated as an official holiday in Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. In these countries, men give flowers, cards and gifts to women - wives, daughters, coworkers, etc.

In the U.S. it appeared to be celebrated in random events in large cities. (Not nearly enough though! It should be a National Holiday!) Thankfully corporate sponsors have participated and supported this event.

As a woman, with a mission to encourage female friendship, it reminds me to reach out to other women. My belief is that if I have a girlfriend in South Africa, I will care more about South Africa. The same if I have a friend in another area of town, suddenly I listen more intently when the media reports a crime or accident in that neighborhood.

Did you celebrate International Women's Day? If so, how? If not, how can we raise awareness and support for this in the future? However you spent your day or your thoughts on this event, remember to be thankful for being a woman, for the women who came before us to bring freedom and rights and for the women we can help - even just by being their friend.