International Women's Day
Creating healthier communities for our children and our children's children
Today is International Women’s Day. A day when we can all stop and —
Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #EmbraceEquity.
My work to create healthy communities is tied (intimately) to the goals of International Women’s Day. I want to create a healthier and safer world for this young woman (and should she choose to have children) and her children and her children’s children.
I want the world she grows up in to be healthier and safer than the world is now. I do NOT want her to be a health statistic. I do NOT want her to be among the —
1 in 8 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer
1 in 6 American women who has been the victim of an attempted/completed rape
60% of teenage girls who reports feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness
30% of teenage girls who have considered suicide
the ever-growing number of schools where a mass shooting has taken place
the ever-growing number of women whose pain is dismissed by a physician
1 in 9 women without healthcare insurance
I do NOT want her to be a statistic.
Instead, I want to create a healthy community where she can thrive.
To do this, every morning I wake up and recommit to my mission to create healthy communities through education and empowerment.
Our baseline is clear — there is too much cancer and way too much violence. We have created an environment that is perpetuating sadness and hopelessness among teenage girls.
Change is needed.
We need healthier, safer communities for the next generation.
There is a lot of work to be done. And it is going to need to be a community effort.
So today, I celebrate her —
Her fierce spirit.
Her love of reading, music, ballet, and bread.
Her dreams.
Her quest for excellence in all that she does.
Her uncanny ability to find the perfect bitmoji.
Her *emotional* (not physical) hugs.
And to quote one of my yoga teachers, it is my prayer that she and all other women go out into the world and —