In Celebration of Women Around the World!

I know it's a few days early, but to women everywhere, those with women in their lives, thoseaffected by women, and those who just simply love women, HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!

World Camp fans in Asheville, NC jump started the celebration on Thursday evening by attending a Half the Sky event and supporting the empowerment of women around the world. The Half the Sky Movement believes in the power of women, that men and women together will create positive change, and fights for gender equality and opportunity by addressing 3 of the major abuses females face: sex trafficking/forced prostitution, gender based violence, and maternal mortality. Be sure to check out the movements new book (pictured above).

Here in Malawi, we are celebrating women in true World Camp fashion: the John Chizimba dance special, a couple renditions of the Banana Song, practicing our female condom demonstrations, and a meeting with the National Youth Council of Malawi* (who recently launched a new campaign addressing the impact of early child marriages on the HIV/AIDS crisis--more on this in subsequent posts, so check back!).

"Amayi ndi a mphamvu! Women are strong!"

female empowerment group, Summer 2009

photo by: Jessica Hallet, volunteer

8 March is the official International Women's Day, and the U.N's 2010 theme is Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All.

How will you pay proper tribute to all the beautiful bombastic babes in your life? Share with us an event, fact, photo, World Camp female empowerment moment, or story of a woman who has influenced your life.

Fun (and some not so fun) Female Trivia:

• Props to the first female head of state goes to Sri Lanka in 1960.
• Of the 192 members of the United Nations, 23 are currently led by females.
• Costa Rica elected their first female president, Laura Chinchilla, last month.
• Windshield wipers, automatic dishwashers, bras, home security systems, pain relievers, and even cancer-fighting drugs were all invented by women!
• Women won equal rights in the U.S. in 1964 when a congressman hoping to defeat the Civil Rights Act added a clause to Title VII that included sex, which passed.
• The only body part designed specifically for pleasure belongs to women.
• More women than men in the U.S. hold bachelor's degrees, voted in the 2008 presidential election, and have survived past the age of 85.
• Women account for more than 60% of persons with HIV in Malawi.
• 35% of unmarried girls in Malawi experience at least 1 teen pregnancy, this is not including the 50% of Malawian girls that are married by the age of 16.

*Thanks to Amon Zileni, WC translator, for getting us in touch with the Council.