As I have travelled around the world, I have come to realize that no matter where we live, no matter what our culture or religion or socio-economic status, all women and girls want basically the same things. As we prepare to celebrate the holidays, here are my top 10 holiday wishes for women and girls.
-
Pay equity
- An end to rape, trafficking, bullying, female genital mutilation, domestic violence and all other forms of violence against women and girls
-
Improved access to education — the pathway to social and economic empowerment
-
More women in positions of leadership in the board room, the halls of justice, and local and national governments. Ideally, equal representation in all of those venues
-
An end to gender bias in the media, and more images that value women and girls for what they think instead of what they look like
-
Less poverty
-
More access to health care
-
An end to war and conflict
-
Social justice
-
More people like me who care about issues facing women and girls, and who want to do something about it. (Hint: you can find out more about how to get involved at either liveyourdream.org or soroptimist.org)
May the New Year see positive changes that makes the world better, not just for women and girls, but for all of us. Happy Holidays!
 |
Cathy Standiford is passionately committed to improving the lives of women and girls, locally and globally, and advocating for their basic human rights. Cathy served as 2009-2010 President of Soroptimist International of the Americas, LiveYourDream.org’s sponsoring organization: a global volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. |