Raise Your Hand and Go Viral
This is International Women’s Day
Let’s go viral.
On International Women’s Day, a campaign by the United Nations, people all over the world celebrate the achievements of women. Additionally, the compassionate advocate for gender equality, and lobby for women’s equal access to equivalent influence. We strive for women’s empowerment, and for positions in leadership. The fortunate may choose to donate to causes that work towards that end. Others will simply help the campaign go viral.
This year the theme is #ChooseToChallenge. We challenge myths of inferiority. We challenge systems of oppression. We challenge ourselves to do better. We challenge barriers to equal opportunity. We challenge the forces that hold back, hold down and hold on to traditions of dismissal. We symbolically wear purple, white and green, we give what we can, and we raise a hand to say YES. We say YES, and we raise a hand to say, “I CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE” what was left unchallenged.
Why focus on women? Because society has spent itself to exhaustion focusing everywhere else. Cultural traditions of patriarchy are rooted in an ancient division of labor that has ignored the development of the collective modern existence, and the development of a modern human mind. As a result, the ascribed role of the woman is to be the worker and the child-rearer, and the steward of community and to comprise the human scaffolding that backbones a global economic elite. This subaltern position, fortunately, can be used by women and allies to an advantage. According to the world’s premier international development agency USAID, “the Investing in gender equality and women’s empowerment can unlock human potential on a transformational scale” (usaid.gov). This is because women, left to curate and cultivate the experiences and well-being of future generations have the potential power to do just that—to shape the future world! If we provide the resources and support necessary to empower women (and then get the heck out of their way), we not only benefit women, but we empower all of the global communities they steward. That is the work of charitable organizations such as the Women’s International Fund for Education, who provide no-strings attached (no ideological, religious, jingoistic manipulation attached) collegiate scholarships to women who reside in the global margin. These women will empower their communities with their education, and maybe escape their own impossible situations (indentured servitude, etc.). Check out W.I.F.E. at www.wifeducation.org.
If you are curious, unconvinced, or simply seeking inspiration, the UN has released their statistics and figures demonstrating the trickle-up powers of educating and liberating the global woman. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/commission-on-the-status-of-women-2012/facts-and-figures Is that too much to read? The bottom line is that what you already know in your deepest consciousness is verified. Women are powerful. It isn’t that they are extra powerful, but rather that they are endowed with the same revolutionary, innovative, and complicated minds as any other human subset. It is a tragic necessity to argue for what should be such an obvious and inalienable truth as that. Still, the power of women has been untapped. You can change this.
Today, please raise one hand to say, “I choose to challenge” and post your photo to #ChooseToChallenge on social media. This is your commitment to do something today, on International Women’s Day. If you are without financial surplus, the photo and post is enough. If you have resources to share, we ask you to do so. What may seem to be a small amount for you can go a long way in someone else’s world. If you specifically want to make sure your donation is spent without supporting corrupt industries, I humbly offer wifeducation.org as a suggested charity.
I choose to challenge.
Who will join me?
Tony Lowe
Health Ambassador at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
