International Women's Day: A Celebration of a World Advancing Women's Human Rights

Every year on March 8, we celebrate the triumphs and struggles of women around the world. In my home country of Australia, the day is always special — and it’s not unusual for a stranger to wish you a “happy women’s day!” on your way to work. For the past 10 years or so my friends and I have made it a ritual to get up ridiculously early to mark the occasion with a women’s breakfast. I always leave these events inspired by the past achievements that we as young women benefit from, and filled with a sense of purpose for the work that is still yet to be done.

In New York today, I’m looking forward to continuing the tradition of celebrating International Women’s Day by attending the two events that the ACLU is cosponsoring in conjunction with the 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

The first event will be held this afternoon and will feature a roundtable discussion with American and international advocates for women’s human rights addressing the need of the U.S. to finally ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The discussion will focus on CEDAW as an international human rights instrument, its implementation in other countries, and the real impact that U.S. ratification would have on women’s lives.

If you are in New York, please come and join us for some thought-provoking discussion of how to make equality a reality for women in this country!

And don’t forget to wish some one a “happy international women’s day!”

What: Advancing Gender Equality: The Impact of CEDAW Ratification on Women’s Rights in the U.S.
When: Monday March 8, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.
Where: U.N. Church Center, 2nd Floor, 777 U.N. Plaza (44th St. and First Ave.), New York, NY