Although women have come a long way in their fight for equality, they still have a long way to go – not just here in the United States, where women still earn 80 cents on the dollar a man earns, but all around the world where women are really struggling. March 8th is International Women’s Day. It’s a global event to celebrate women and raise awareness of the issues they face each day.
Putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes isn’t easy, especially when they are a world away. But then there are stories like that of Malala Yousafzai that make the world take pause. Rarely has one face become such a moving symbol of oppression, hope and change. Christiane Amanpour, CNN chief international correspondent and global affairs anchor for ABC News, tells us her story.
“This girl has been shot in the head, left for dead… she’s a walking miracle.” -Christiane Amanpour
@katieshow doing a show abt #women‘s issues. This content, like #trafficking show, is what gets my eyeballs! (We met at #EmotionalGirl!)
— Marcia G. Yerman (@mgyerman) March 7, 2013
Brigham Young said, “You educate a man, you educate a man. You educate a woman, you educate a generation.” That could be the mantra of John Wood, founder of Room to Read. More than a decade ago he began a mission to improve literacy in the developing world, and 15,000 libraries across 10 countries later, he’s well on his way.
“Things will never change if you don’t get girls and women educated.” -John Wood
Educated women change communities! Via @roomtoread on the @katieshow #girlrising
— Tracy Morrison (@sellabitmum) March 7, 2013
It’s relatively rare for a mother to die during childbirth in this country, but in the rest of the world it’s a very different story. Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns, prompted by her own experience, decided to do something about that. She sat down with ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts to talk about her life-saving mission. Deborah tells Katie about her conversation with the supermodel.
“It is ignorance, it’s poverty, it’s lack of access to good health care.” -Deborah Roberts
@katiecouric you know, there are some places, women can not give birth even inside the house and they have NO HOSPITAL facility at all!
— Amrita Lamsal (@AmritaLamsal) March 7, 2013
Millions of girls need help across the globe, but they also need help right here at home. By the age of 18, one in four girls in the U.S. will be sexually abused. It happened to Erin Merryn before she reached elementary school.
“We have to protect and give kids a voice.” -Erin Merryn
Listening to your story was like listening to my own story. @erinmerryn #survivor #Erinslaw @katieshow @katiecouric
— stephanie cottrell (@StephDCottrell) March 7, 2013
You probably know Anthony Edwards as Goose in Top Gun and Dr. Mark Greene on E.R. What you may not know is that as the chairman of Shoe4Africa, Anthony is empowering women and improving the health and well-being of thousands of people every day.
“Women’s empowerment is what’s going to change Africa.” -Anthony Edwards
The Girls Around the World show covered so many powerful stories. It should’ve been a week long series! @katieshow @katiecouric #IWD2013
— Aida Asady (@AidaAsady) March 7, 2013
If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. The same goes for a woman. Global Goods Partners is an organization co-founded by Catherine Shimony that is teaching women in the developing world how to translate their skills as artisans into money to support themselves, their families and their communities.
“We can easily bring the U.S. customer to women artisans around the globe.” -Catherine Shimony
@katiecouric Thank you SO MUCH for featuring International Women’s Day with all the progress made and all that needs to be done!!
— camille buckley (@camillean71) March 7, 2013
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