GD and Smashbox Cosmetics

Global Daughter wants to say a big THANK YOU to Smashbox Cosmetics, a company that not only produces top notch cosmetics but supports women causes worldwide. It is coincidentally our favorite brand of cosmetics, so to begin a relationship with them is a dream come true!

On Tuesday, GD was invited to the corporate offices by the President of Smashbox to kick off their series of Earth Week Events with a presentation and shopping hour. For Global Daughter to be a part of their green effort is an honor and a great opportunity for our project. Thanks to the preparation and hard work of "smashers" Stephanie and Tiffany....... it was a SMASHing success!

Smashbox-a company with a conscience that is as beautiful on the inside...as the outside!

Women's Day Walkathon- Kathmandu

In a show of solidarity and to promote women's development in Nepal, Global Daughter participated in the 99th International Women's Day Walkathon in Kathmandu. Along with women activists, professionals, NGO representatives and Ambassadors, Erin walked to support women's rights and equality in Nepal and world-wide.

It was great to see women from all walks of life uniting for one voice in the early hours of Sunday March 8th. The event featured well-known advocates and dignitaries from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It was also impressive to see the number of men and young boys participating in the event- walking side-by-side with their mothers and sisters.

The energy of the crowd and the speakers was quite moving. I was thinking it would be even more effective if events like this were also held simultaneously at the local level, in the districts and villages- where women's rights need to be most visible. Sadly, these type of events are rarely organized...but we hope for a trickle down effect from Kathmandu....as quickly as possible!
It was a proud day for Global Daughter. To be recognized by other women's groups and women activists in the country and represent a project that people know and trust. To walk around in the crowd and see women we work with and women's organizations that we are associated with- gave me the feeling that we have truly solidified a presence within the women's community in Nepal.

Good stuff all around as the movement keeps keepin' on......

"Realizing the importance of a consolidated effort for synergy and effective advocacy, this is a singular opportunity for women from all the eight countries to come together as a unified force to celebrate past achievements on the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2009, and work towards Millennium Development Goals for 2015."

The crowd grows...

Erin at the ceremony post-walk.

Banners of support wave on.

Teamwork.

An essential experience for any little girl.

Walk through Durbar Square.

A beautiful face for a beautiful cause.

A walk through Basantapur.

Does this need to actually be stated? The answer is yes, in Nepal it does.

Famous women activists speak to the crowd about lack of security for women in the country.

Traditional Musicians leading the march.

Bangladeshi Ambassador and the next generation of women's activists in traditional Tharu dress.

International Women's Day 2009!

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.

Many global corporations have also started to more actively support IWD by running their own internal events and through supporting external ones. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google some years even changes its logo on its global search pages. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status. The United States even designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'.

So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.

International Women's Day

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY- MARCH 8TH, 2008

International Women's Day is being celebrated throughout Nepal today. Articles in newspapers, rallies in the streets and speeches at conferences around the nation are all part of this exciting day. It is encouraging to see this significant occasion be recognized by grassroots women, urban women and most notably, men. The women in Nepal are some tough cookies. They are the glue that holds this whole thing together (even if at times the country's stability is fragile as best). On this day especially, it is apparent that when Nepal decides to truly invest in the future of women and girls they will begin to see prosperity and progress.

This day may be a ceremonial event, but honoring, respecting and recognizing the strengths and achievements of women should be celebrated daily. That is what the Global Daughter Movement is all about.

International Women's Day is now an official holiday in Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate their achievements. While there are many large-scale initiatives, a rich and diverse fabric of local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.

Many global corporations have also started to more actively support IWD by running their own internal events and through supporting external ones. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google even changes its logo on its global search pages. Corporations like HSBC host the UK's largest and longest running IWD event delivered by women's company Aurora. Last year Nortel sponsored IWD activities in over 20 countries and thousands of women participated. Nortel continues to connect its global workforce though a coordinated program of high-level IWD activity, as does Accenture both virtually and offline. Accenture supports more than 2,000 of its employees to participate in its International Women's Day activities that include leadership development sessions, career workshops and corporate citizenship events held across six continents - in eight cities in the United States and in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, South Africa and the UK. Accenture also coordinated am IWD webcast featuring stories about Accenture women worldwide that ran uninterrupted for 30 hours across 11 time zones via Accenture's intranet. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status. The United States even designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'.

So make a difference, think globally and act locally!! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.