Feliz Día Internacional de la Mujer

March 9, 2012 - Yesterday was International Women's Day, a great day to reflect on how far women have come while also recognizing the challenges we still face around the world. I started the day reading some reports and articles put out by various health and development organizations and posting my attempt at being inspirational on Facebook. To my surprise, the day continued with much more celebration than expected.

First, I was greeted by all the staff at Centro Bellavista with a big hug and "feliz día." Wow, I thought, they really celebrate this day here. This was a surprise since most of my friends and family in the U.S. probably do not know it is International Women's Day, unless they work in health or development. But, as my colleague Marita pointed out, Peruvians like to celebrate EVERYTHING, so I shouldn't be surprised that this day is included.

Later in the day we learned there would be a meeting at 6 p.m. I expected snacks and maybe a few inspirational words, but was delighted when our male co-workers began giving short but heartfelt speeches about the importance of all the women in their lives - including us (their co-workers), mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, and so on. I also loved the theme many mentioned, "No hace falta ser anti-hombre para ser pro-mujer." Or roughly being pro-woman doesn't mean you are anti-man. So true. Another co-worker commented that women are the essence of life, also a true and beautiful sentiment. So, feeling sufficiently celebrated, I was further delighted when the men asked us to close our eyes and presented each of us with a rose. Then, to top off the day, we all received Pro Mujer water bottles. Anyone who knows me well knows I am a sucker for free logo-ed items, so needless to say I was very happy. (Cue cheesy photo.)


Closing out the day, when a co-worker and I stopped in a store on the way home, even the woman running the store wished us a "feliz día." I thought about how important this day is in a country where women have gained rights, for example the right to work, in the more recent past than in the U.S, and where sadly many are still seen as second-class citizens in their homes. What a wonderful day to celebrate women and re-commit ourselves to improving the future for all the women in our lives and around the world. I went to bed feeling very grateful for the opportunity to be here working with so many amazing women AND men in Pro Mujer and doing some good, however small, for the women of Peru.