Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. This morning I listened to a special edition of CBC Radio's The Current to mark this day. I wiped tears from my eyes as I walked along a busy downtown street, listening to an interview with Xinran, author of Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother: Stories of Loss and Love. Xinran and others remind us that although a great deal of progress has been made toward the protection and promotion of women's equality, dignity, and human rights, progress is an ongoing process and we have a long way to go still.
For example, I remember being shocked by the statistic that "up to 70 per cent of women experience violence in their lifetime" when I was researching the topic of violence against women for a law class assignment in high school. It's been almost 20 years since I encountered that statistic and it has not changed.
So, while I believe that International Women's Day is a cause for celebration it is also a day to remember that the struggle continues for our equality, dignity, and human rights. Fortunately, there are a lot of dedicated, strong, powerful people - women, men, girls, and boys - involved in this struggle. Let's do what we can to support this movement and build a better world for us all!
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