STRENGTH FROM WOMEN
By Jirair Ratevosian

from-women/
Mar 8th, 2010

Abraham Lincoln once said, "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my
mother." No words better describe the way I feel about my own mother,
two grandmothers, and the myriad of strong and courageous women that
have surrounded me throughout life-including my sister, cousins,
aunts, teachers, colleagues, and friends.

Born in the U.S., I take for granted the freedoms and privileges that
my mother and grandmothers never had, having escaped civil war in
Lebanon or being exiled for opposing Russian nationalism in Armenia
during Stalinist rule. Indeed, equality and human rights remain merely
hopes for millions of women around the world who are vulnerable to
discrimination, disease, and violence due to social marginalization
and gender inequality.

Every day, 1,500 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related
complications according to the World Health Organization. Most of
these deaths occur in developing countries and most are avoidable.

Many pregnant women have little or no access to health services either
because these services are non-existent where they live, are poor in
quality, or the cost of care is prohibitively expensive.

HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts women around the world. Women’s
vulnerability to the epidemic is dangerously magnified by the severe
social, legal, and economic discrimination that limits their ability
to access education, economic opportunities, and health systems,
all of which have been shown to reduce the probability of contracting
the disease.

Women and young girls are also explicitly and routinely targeted in
some of the world’s deadliest conflicts, namely in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Rape and sexual violence
are used as instruments of war. In desperation, many women too often
must sell their bodies in order to provide food and other services
to their families. Along with the physical and psychological scars,
women who have experienced sexual violence become stigmatized and
are then rejected by their husbands and communities.

Ongoing conflict and natural disasters like the earthquake in
Haiti increase the vulnerabilities women face when seeking medical
attention. In these hardship settings, women often have little access
to safe and comprehensive health clinics, and an untold number suffer
severe health effects or die of complications related to childbearing.

Gender inequality and discrimination is widespread even in our own
community-in Armenia and the U.S. Both at home and worldwide, these
issues have received only scant public attention and the international
community has made little progress in holding governments accountable
for protecting women from aggressors or providing adequate health
facilities to all populations.

In the U.S, where women won the right to vote 150 years after the
signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Obama Administration
has elevated the cause of the political, economic, and social
advancement of women around the world by creating a new position of
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. All countries should
emulate this increased attention and importance given to women’s
issues and fully integrate women’s rights into the development of
national and international policy.

Each of us-especially men-must also play a part in mobilizing our
community to debunk gender stereotypes, combat violence against women
and girls, and support efforts to increase equal access to education
and healthcare. By taking bold steps to better the lives of women,
we will be improving the lives of children and families everywhere.

I often ask myself how much better my mother’s or grandmothers’ lives
may have been had they not endured the disruption of their education,
dislocation from their culture, and the challenge of integrating into
a new society. I take some comfort in knowing that their strength
inspires me and many others to defend women’s rights worldwide.

In honor of the outstanding women in our lives, let us redouble
our efforts and commit to a world where everyday is International
Women’s Day.