The Global Citizen: International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day!

Carolyn Blake | March 8th, 2012
Topics: Women's Rights Treaty (CEDAW)

Today is International Women's Day! Although this day has been celebrated on different dates throughout history, it still marks a time to remember how far we have come and how far we still have to go. In the past 101 years of celebrating International Women's Day, amazing progress for gender equality has taken place. Since the first International Women's day, women have been granted the right to vote in most countries, they have served as Heads of State, they have made critical contributions to science and the arts, and they have even made it to moon. The shoes of women such as Madeline Albright and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, will be hard to fill. It is important that we continue their legacy of female empowerment.

International Women's Day!

Veronica Glick | March 8th, 2010
Topics: Women's Rights Treaty (CEDAW), Human Rights

Ann Lewis, a director of communications for President Clinton, and Susan Molinari, former Republican Congresswoman for New York, wrote that "investment in women and girls' education and empowerment is increasingly recognized as a linch-pin to advancing social, economic and political progress in most poor countries... Girls with just one year of formal education are less likely to suffer from illness or hunger...and their children are less likely to die in infancy." This reasoning was implemented in Pakistan where the U.S. supported education in the country towards a goal of addressing illiteracy. The U.S. stated that this formed part of efforts to stabilize Pakistan and to weaken the influence of Al Qaeda and the Taliban; arguing that nations that are stable and democratic are far less likely to engage in war or host terrorist organizations.

Success! Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe Confirmed!

Veronica Glick | March 5th, 2010
Topics: Women's Rights Treaty (CEDAW), Human Rights

Yesterday afternoon Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe was confirmed as the first ever United States Ambassador to the Council.

We want to thank Citizens for Global Solutions activists who sent over 1200 letters to 94% of the Senate demanding that Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe be confirmed as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe is an Affiliated Scholar at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. Her research has focused on norms on use of force, UN reform, and the international rule of law. Previously, Ms. Donahoe was a litigation associate at Fenwick & West in Silicon Valley. Prior to that, she was a teaching fellow at Stanford Law School and law clerk to the Honorable William H. Orrick. Ms. Donahoe has also worked with various human rights organizations.