Celebrate, Support and Empower Women: International Women's Day

Today, March 8th is International Women's Day and with that we wanted to take a moment to honor and thank all of the amazing, strong, beautiful and intelligent women across the globe. We want to especially take a moment to thank all the amazing and courageous survivors who embody a relentless spirit few are ever able to possess.

While Bridge to Freedom Foundation does not work with female survivors alone, women and girls comprise 80% of modern slavery victims.   Therefore we ask on this day to not only thank the women in your life, but to honor and support those women and girls who are fighting daily for their basic freedoms and rights. While we not only use this day to honor these women we also celebrate the inspiring and courageous work that so many women -and men- around the world are doing to secure and ensure that the rights of women and girls are put into place to see a future for all that is both more tolerant and sustainable for all. Please remember that many voices have been silenced in the battle for gender equality -speak loudly so that their silence will be forever broken.

This year we ask you consider making a donation to our Violence Prevention Program, where a $45 donation will give a survivor a 3 hour specialized self-defense (Krav Maga) workshop.  Even a donation a little as $10 will make a great impact.  Please click here to learn more about the program and donate.

Modern Slavery News Round-Up

Women and girls make up 75% of all trafficked people
An estimated 20.9 million people are trafficked worldwide -- about 58% for purposes of sexual exploitation and another 36% for other forms of forced labor, according to a report of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. Traffickers target more women and foreign nationals than in other crimes, pulling from at least 136 nationalities in 118 countries, the report said.

Social cause game's aim: To help girls win
A Facebook game scheduled to be introduced next month will promote awareness of issues affecting woman and girls, including child prostitution and female genital mutilation. The three-year undertaking, Half the Sky Movement: The Game, is based on a book and allows players to help a female character by donating virtual goods to nonprofits including the United Nations Foundation.

Legal recourse out of reach for women in developing world
Many governments are denying women and girls equal protection under the law, according to a report by the International Development Law Organization. Many women are unaware of their rights or are unable to bypass informal systems for formal courts.

Global campaign protests violence against women
Thousands of women in Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday joined women worldwide to draw attention to rape and discrimination as part of the One Billion Rising campaign. In India, women demonstrated using music and dance.

Celebrating Women and Freedom: International Women’s Day

Today, March 8th is International Women’s Day (IWD), which was established to commemorate the struggle women and girls across the globe continue to endure in obtaining their basic human rights. In 2011, the United States made the presidential proclamation that the entire month of March will be Women’s History Month. 2012′s theme is Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures; by connecting girls with resources to ensure their basic rights, girls will see their potential and future. Inspiring girls’ futures betters the community, the country and the world.

 Each year the United Nations also declares an overall International Women’s Day theme. The UN’s 2012 theme is Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty. Women and girls in rural areas face the largest disparities and barriers than any other population in the world. Rural women and girls comprise one in four people worldwide. They work long hours with little or no wadges, yet produce a large proportion of the food agriculture. These women and girls are one of the biggest keys in the fight against poverty. “Providing women farmers with equal access to resources would result in 100 to 150 million fewer hungry people. Providing women with income, land rights and credit would mean fewer malnourished children. Studies show that higher levels of gender equality correlate positively with higher levels of per capita gross national product. Opening economic opportunities to women would significantly raise economic growth and reduce poverty,” stated Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, on the importance of addressing this year’s UN theme (UN Women).

 To Read the rest of this post by Executive Director and Founder, Cassandra Clifford on the Foreign Policy Association's Children's Rights Blog please go here.