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CEDPA President and CEO Yolonda Richardson on International Women’s Day  
Mar. 8, 2005—What if we had acted sooner when we began to learn about the way the Taliban treated women? What if? How would the world have been a different place, if we had dared to act? Today, March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day. This day serves as an important reminder that the lives of women and girls are important everywhere. Ten years ago, nearly 30,000 women and men from around the world came together to agree on a set of global priorities to ensure that women’s rights are respected around the world. That meeting, like others before, affirmed the critical role of women in global progress. CEDPA stands firmly behind the agreements reached in the Beijing Platform for Action and seeks to work toward the achievement of its goals. CEDPA believes that, while we have made immense progress around the world, gender inequalities still exist. When girls are married off to significantly older men before they even reach puberty, or are denied access to education and other opportunities, we know we have work to do. As long as women are underrepresented in political life, are unable to inherit property, and are too often the victims of violence in their own homes, we know there is work yet to be done. And when women are denied the right to make the most basic decisions about their health and bodies, we know that we need to work harder, smarter and longer. So today, we must consider how much the entire world suffers under the weight of these inequalities and how much we can each help to ensure a brighter future for women, girls and families. Founded in 1975, CEDPA is an international nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of women and girls worldwide. At the core of our work and approaches is a belief that achieving gender equality is essential for development, democracy and global progress. We believe that women are critical development actors and are powerful catalysts for social change. Let’s commit to unleashing their immense untapped potential and join to create a fairer, more just world. |
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