In thinking about International Women’s Day I felt compelled to make a small contribution, to speak out. How better to do this than to reignite some activity on my own personal blog, I will try to find my own voice again.
International Women’s Day is not about asserting the superiority of one gender over the other. It is a celebration of womankind. The United Nations instituted International Women’s Day to commemorate the contribution of women in the socio-political sphere as well as in global peace and security.
Reach out to your women friends and touch their life with these International Women’s Day quotes:
- You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation ~ Brigham Young
- Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity ~ Gandhi
- God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I’ve ever met ~ Farrah Fawcett
- The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world ~ Charles Malik
- Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels ~ Faith Whittlesey
- Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition ~ Timothy Leary
- Women are always beautiful ~ Ville Valo
- A charming woman doesn’t follow the crowd. She is herself ~ Loretta Young
- Women are leaders everywhere you look — from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes ~ Nancy Pelosi
- A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult ~ Melinda Gates
- If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman ~ Margaret Thatcher
And here are some inspiring TED talks celebrating women:
- Kakenya Ntaiya: A girl who demanded school
- Sheryl WuDunn’s TED Talk: Our Century’s Greatest Injustice - her best-selling book Half the Sky has touched and inspired millions across the globe
- Author and activist Isabel Allende discusses women, creativity, feminism — and the power of passionate thinkers and doers
- The former Finance Minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, talks about one key opportunity to grow African economies — by investing in women and the businesses they start
- Scientist Nalini Nadkarni explores the world of the forest canopy — and shares her findings with the world below, through dance, art and bold partnerships. She’s working to inspire the next generation of women scientists
- The wonderful Nellie McKay sings “Mother of Pearl” (with the immortal first line “Feminists don’t have a sense of humor”) and “If I Had You” from her sparkling set at TED2008
