International Women’s Day, #101

Happy International Women’s Day, one and all. We love the holiday-as-call-to-action idea.  To that end, first have a looksy at
at a history of IWD on this, its 101st anniversary, and also find a listing of today’s events.

....then, if you’re not able to take to the streets or limbo for liberation (or even if you are) consider digging deep
for women around the world who could really use support right now. 

The ever-important Global Fund for Women’s new video will inform you in terms of action
overseas, and we’re big fans of Madre, who have their hands full with recent earthquake relief.

- diva hq

Gupta wins Clinton Global Initiative Citizen Award

Grass roots activist takes the big stage....

Ruchira Gupta, the anti- sex trafficking activist who started Apne Aap, will be awarded a whopper of an award by President Bill Clinton tomorrow.  When we met with her in India for our documentary “Holy Cow" she told us: “What we want to do is actually eradicate sex trafficking and the exploitation inside prostitution...The good news is that the women are willing to fight. Six years ago, when I came into this brothel, they were so timid and they were so scared, they were not willing to even talk to each other. They did not let outsiders in, and today, six years later, you can see the laughter and the joy that they have.”

Everyone from the Clinton Global Initiative to Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn (who featured Ruchira’s work in their new book Half the Sky) seems to be talking about the truth that empowering women and girls is the most important action that can be taken in the world right now.  Let’s hope this tipping point, tips - and our cups runneth over.  Congratulations to Ruchira Gupta and for more about her important work check out www.apneaap.org

Iran: an exclusive with the 'real' first lady

A glimpse into the politics and philosophy of a revolutionary....

Since we’ve been calling attention to Zahra Rahnavard, we decided to dig into the Diva archives for this exclusive content.
Rahnavard is married to Hossein Mousavi, the man who most believe truly won the recent Iranian presidential election. She is credited as the architect of her husband’s campaign and for getting out the women’s vote. As you’ll read in the interview, she’s also a sculptor, feminist, author, former presidential advisor and dedicated Muslim. Click on for the full transcript.....

Reporting back from Syria

Turns out, the soap maker in Aleppo, Syria was a bit of a sage. Just a few weeks ago, as he handed me a delectable serving of shay’eebiyyat, he said, “Obama will come here soon. He is going to reach out.” Today, Obama decided to send an ambassador to Syria, a “sign of the deepening engagement between the Obama administration and the Syrian government,” says the New York Times.

Clearly Syria is a strategic hotspot in the Middle East. The evening news and the marketers of the Axis of Evil (as well as the State Department which has an ongoing travel warning for the country) might have you think Syria is a place lousy with Muslim extremists.

New revolution in Iran?!

Zahra Rahnavard is galvanizing Iran - before the presidential voting, and now in the election’s tumultuous aftermath. She tells a Tehran audience, “Today we can close our eyes and see ourselves. Never have women had so much self-awareness. Women have always been just under the skin of history. Today, we assert ourselves.”

The LA Times is onto the story, and says of her:  “Some in the Iranian and Western news media have likened Rahnavard to Michelle Obama, but she more closely resembles Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady and New York senator whom many considered a driving force behind her husband’s political career and presidency.”

For more, including video, click here.

To get a copy of our PBS Iran documentary which features Rahvanard, click here.