International Women’s Day

A Wondrous Quartet

Posted on March 6, 2017March 7, 2017 by kathiemm

I have often preached on the indispensability of empathy in cooperative human relationships—e.g., here and here and here. But to “make the world a better place,” as so many of us want to do, empathy is not enough. It is also essential to sympathize with individuals and groups treated inhumanely, to feel compassion for the sufferings and misfortunes of others, and to accompany those who are struggling against violence and injustice.

If we ask people with which sex they are most likely to associate these characteristics, my guess is that most of them would say “women.”

Not coincidentally, all four of the indispensables are reflected in the mission statement of the Women’s March on Washington, which led the protest movement against the Trump agenda in January. For example:

“In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore… We practice empathy with the intent to learn about the intersecting identities of each other….[Nonviolence] is a positive force confronting the forces of injustice and utilizes the righteous indignation and spiritual, emotional, and intellectual capabilities of people as the vital force for change and reconciliation…. ”

Wednesday, March 8, is International Women’s Day. The theme this year is #BeBoldForChange. The organizers of the Women’s March on Washington are staging another series of events for Wednesday—a Day without a Woman action. Please read about the plans for that campaign, and think about how you can express empathy, sympathy, and compassion, and also accompany the protestors in words and spirit even if you will not be actively protesting, as they strive for social justice, human rights, and peace.

To read some suggestions for participation in Wednesday’s events, read this.

Support women’s rights, support nonviolence

Posted on March 7, 2013March 6, 2013 by kathiemm

On March 8, 2013, International Women’s Day, celebrate the role of the women’s movement as a force for human rights (including the abolition of slavery) and nonviolence.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2013 is “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.”

It is fitting that on February 28, 2013, after considerable delay, the U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval to a renewal of America’s Violence Against Women Act.

According to the Public Affairs Office at the United Nations, “When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.”

A few key historical events:

On February 28, 1909, promoted by a declaration of the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman’s Day (NWD) was observed in the United States.

On March 19, 1911, the first International Women’s Day, proclaimed during the 2010 Socialist International meeting, was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.

In late February, 1913, as part of a protest against impending war, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day. On March 8, 1917, they engaged in a protest and strike for “Bread and Peace.”

In December 1977, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a U.N. Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, which has come to be celebrated annually on March 8. In many countries, but not the United States, International Women’s Day is a national holiday.

In July, 2010, the U.N. created its UNWomen agency to empower women and promote their human rights.

Among their continuing struggles are women’s efforts on behalf of peace in the Middle East today. See, for example, this video about Israeli and Palestinian women.

Empowering women is a giant step toward embracing and promoting nonviolence.

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology

Women activists and International Women’s Day

Posted on March 8, 2012March 7, 2012 by kathiemm

Today, Thursday March 8, is International Women’s Day. It is a good day for us to be grateful to the women peace activists who contribute to this blog—for example, San’aa Sultan, Dr. Dahlia Wasfi, and Jean Gerard.

It is also a good day to celebrate the fact that late in 2011 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to three women peace activists: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen.

These are impressive women indeed. In 2005, Mrs. Sirleaf was the first African woman in modern times to be elected to lead an African state; she has used that office to bring peace to Liberia after 14 years of an extremely violent civil war.

Leymah Gbowee founded the Ghana-based Women, Peace, and Security Network Africa. In 2002, she organized a sex strike in Liberia, during which women withheld sex from their husbands until hostilities ended.

Ms. Karman, the youngest candidate ever awarded the Peace Prize and the first Arab woman to receive it, has been called the “Mother of the Revolution.” She is the founder of Women Journalists Without Chains.

Here are some links that will allow you to see and hear these proponents of peace and justice:

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C1mqLRKsJQ&feature=related

Leymah Gbowee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts6WptOD384

Tawakkul Karman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LFMWDFVx7E

Women of all ages, ethnicities, and religions have a long history of fighting for peace and increasingly their efforts and achievements are being recognized. Please share your own stories of efforts on behalf of peace.

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology

Nobel Peace Laureates and International Women’s Day

Posted on March 7, 2011July 6, 2011 by kathiemm

In honor of International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8 of this year, we dedicate this post to the five most recent female winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.

2004: Wangari Maathai from Kenya, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, received the award for her achievements in sustainable development, the rights of women, democracy, environmental protections, and peace. (For more on Wangari Maathai, see this video.)

2003: Shirin Ebadi from Iran was awarded the Peace Prize for her work on behalf of democracy and human rights, particularly the rights of women and children. She was the first woman in Iran to become a federal judge, a position taken from her following the Islamic Revolution of 1975. Not until 1992 was she again allowed to practice law in her home country. Much of her work is risky, focusing on human rights cases. (For more on Shirin Ebadi, see this video.)

1997: The 1997 Peace Prize was shared by Jody Williams of Putney, Vermont, USA, and the organization she co-founded, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. She has devoted her life to anti-war, anti-violence activities, and has helped to found the Nobel Women’s Initiative which works for peace with equality and justice. (For more on Jody Williams, see this article and video.)

1992: Rigoberta Menchú Tum from Guatemala grew up in an impoverished Mayan Indian family that founded the Committee for the Peasant Union, which fought for social reform and justice for native families. Following the torture and murder of her father and brother, she fled the country and dedicated her life to promoting human rights and reconciliation. (For more on Rigoberts Menchu Tum, see this video.)

1991: Aung San Suu Kyi, born in Burma (now Myanmar), has earned international recognition for her work on human rights. Despite being held under house arrest in Burma for most of the past few decades, she has been continuously outspoken on behalf of the Burmese people. (For more on Aung San Suu Kyi, see this video.)

These five women are all human beings who have devoted their lives to promoting human rights and peace. Read or listen to their stories. What characteristics do you share with them? What can you do to promote peace and human rights? Everyone can do something–you don’t have to be a Nobel Laureate to make a difference for peace.

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology