International Women’s Day 2023

Happy International Women’s Day! This is a great day for celebrating the various journeys of women.

We have come so far in so many ways, from individual accomplishments to changing the world by banding together. There are still inequities and glass ceilings, but barriers continue to be broken, too.

A fun example of this is women’s sports. A couple weekends ago, I took my husband and kids to their first college basketball game. The Oregon Ducks women’s team, of course! Even without my favorite players from a few years ago (Ionescu, Heber, and Chavez), they are still great. Chris was very impressed with Paopao’s 3-point shot skills, and he isn’t even into basketball! Afterward, I was waiting outside the Matthew Knight Arena with the two youngest kids while Chris brought the rest out. A volunteer worker who was directing people out there commented that some big tournament or other would probably be held there because Eugene tends to bring in so many fans for the women’s teams. And then she said that after women’s games, she has to ask people to come back for the men’s games! I’m grateful to live in a place that values the women’s team as much or more than the men’s, at least in that sport. And nationally, the USA recently passed a bill to ensure equal compensation for U.S. women competing in international events. About time, since the U.S. women’s soccer team has won four world cup medals and four Olympic gold medals. Go, team!

Unfortunately, women in many places are still oppressed or facing devastating challenges. In Iran, hundreds of women and men have been killed in recent months for protesting after a woman died in custody of the “morality police” for not wearing her headscarf correctly. Women in Afghanistan have recently lost most of the rights they had gained back in the years between the current regime’s rule. Women in parts of Ukraine are carrying their children to safety out of the war’s reach, and same for the survivors of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. In Burkina Faso and other countries, women have been abducted in mass kidnappings by jihadist groups. And the list goes on. These are not the kinds of journeys that I want to read about.

What can we do? A few things. Pray for women who have fled difficult places and for the ones who have stayed. Donate to charities and organizations that are making a difference in their lives and in the world. Follow news stories of their challenges and others, so they are not forgotten. Speak up for what is right, regardless of your gender. We need brave women and men to make a difference. I haven’t heard an update on the Afghan professor who was jailed for protesting the banning of women from university there, but he gives me hope.

The people who give me the most hope, though, are my former students and my new children. There are those that I taught in Afghanistan, many of whom are now spread around the world attending university or practicing their careers. They have not given up on the world or their home country. Using their talents, skills, gifts, and dreams, they are making a difference in their spheres of influence, showing the world the power of love. Then there are the kids from the military school. I see them finding their way in the world, too, pursuing their careers and raising families. One of them wants to be a teacher to give hope to the next generation.

And my adorable stepkids? Well, while everyone was getting ready for school and work this morning, I commented that I was wearing purple and green for International Women’s Day. Our little boy, age 6, looked at his sweatshirt and proudly announced that he was wearing green. His four older sisters are already making their mark on the world with their art.

How are you or the women in your life celebrating International Women’s Day or making a difference in the world? Leave a comment below if you would like.

Teaser: In a future post, I’ll write about my mom’s journeys. She’s taken some amazing ones in her life, and brought me up to be an adventurous woman! Thanks to my friend Caitlin for the idea!