WOMEN: Let's Stand Together

In celebration of International Women's Day I wanted to discuss how more WOMEN should celebrate WOMEN. Although our patriarchal society is largely responsible for our repression over the course of history, women also should be held accountable for their roles. We have made AMAZING progress over the years with with respect to Equality, Reproductive Rights, in the work place, and on a global scale. I feel, we as women should be allies and not competitors and could do better for each other. The mysogynistc undertones still exist across the globe when women deal with various forms of discrimination, degeneration, violence and abuse (largely from men) but women are also culpable to some degree.

The time is NOW to truly stand together in the sisterhood we all share. We have unique challenges and responsibilities as women and should be there as a supportive force to one another, not just today but every day.

In a world of uncertainty, here is what I can CONFIRM:

ALL WOMEN ARE

* Capable

* Worthy

* Unique

* Beautiful

When is the last time you helped out a female friend for no reason? or told another women that they have been an inspiration for you? do you support female owned businesses? or told someone you know they are beautiful? or a good mother? or applauded a female counterpart for what she has accomplished?

Lets celebrate WOMEN today and all that we have done and continue to do to better ourselves and our world. As a giant global team we can make the changes needed to liberate women all over the world to feel truly empowered and inspired and help each other to live up to our full potentials. The change in attitude and action starts with each one of US.

My top 2 Inspirational Women of the year:

Christy Turlington - Model, Mother, Film Maker and Women's Right Activist: Maternal Health -via Every Mother Counts. Her documentary and work abroad has and is continuing to make a difference in the lives of women and mothers everywhere.

Loren Ridinger: Business Woman, Mother, Jewelry Designer, who is on a relentless digital-quest to inspire women and empower them to be the best they can be, in business and otherwise.

‎"Inside of you is a smart, powerful, dynamic, capable, self-confident, alive, alert, fabulous woman! Let her come out and play. The world is waiting for you." - Louise L. Hay

Every Mother Counts PART ONE

LisaG (me) 34 weeks pregnant ~ Photo by Heather Millennar


Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity to reflect not only how we appreciate and love our mothers, grand mothers, step-mothers, adoptive mothers or chosen mothers. It is also a time to reflect on how we got here, the actual process of child birth; a natural, relatively safe part of the female human experience, right?

WRONG! Worldwide more than 500,000 women die each year during childbirth and 90% of these deaths are preventable. Don't let your mind automatically jump to a hut in 3rd world or underdeveloped country right away. Developed nations like the US/Canada is included in that number.


Most of us remember Christy Turlington from the pages and covers of hundreds of fashion magazines. It can be argued that her face was one that defined the decade of 1990's fashion as she is one of the original "supermodels". She continues to model but is a lot more than a pretty face!

For Louis Vuitton 2011


She has now become the face and voice for the hundreds of thousands of women at risk globally for maternal death and complications. She has become a Maternal Health Advocate for the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) and enrolled in the Masters of Public Health program at Columbia University's Mailman School. She still did not feel like she was making the difference she desired so she has created an organization and associated web site called: EVERY MOTHER COUNTS (www.everymothercounts.org).



She has also created a documentary film called "No Woman No Cry" which will debut on the OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) TOMORROW SATURDAY May 7th:

9:30pm Eastern & West Coast / 8:30pm Central
12:30am Eastern & West Coast / 11:30pm Central

AND

Sunday May 8:
1pm Eastern & West Coast / 12n Central

In Christy's words:

"I was inspired to make a documentary film that would share the stories of women at risk of becoming a mortality statistic. I hope that by bringing people together through the universal experience of birth, we can help create a mainstream maternal health movement that ensures the lives and well-being of mothers worldwide, for generations to come."


FILM TRAILER:




Take the time to watch the film and let it inspire YOU as a woman, a mother and a human being to get involved and help!

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO WHERE I HAD A CHANCE TO ASK CHRISTY A FEW QUESTIONS REGARDING HER CAUSE AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP MOTHERS ALL OVER THE WORLD!