Celebrating International Women's Day

Today, in partnership with more than 200 organizations and individuals, TFW is blogging for social justice. Gender Across Borders and CARE are sponsoring the Third Annual Blog for International Women’s Day, and we are proud to be part of this important media collaboration.

The theme of this year’s event is “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures.” Participants were asked to address the question, How can we, as a culture and as members of the global community, involve, educate, and inspire girls in a positive way? Bloggers were also asked to describe a particular organization, person, group, or moment in history that has helped to inspire a positive future and impact the minds and aspirations for girls.

Here at TFW, two high school seniors, Lizeth Lopez and Janeth Silva, write about being young, Latina, and vulnerable. Yet they also write powerfully about coming to a place of activism and change, both personal and social, and they share with us their dreams for a better future. Their stories are both ordinary–in that they reflect the experiences of many young women of color in the U.S.–and also uniquely inspiring. From the other side of the stage, so to speak, Nashville-based producer and actor Vali Forrister talks about Act Like a Grrrl, the organization she founded to empower young women through performance.

We’re excited about TFW’s contribution to the International Women’s Day dialogue, and we hope you will be, too.  Please read, share, and discuss these stories, and also be sure to visit our sister organizations.