Day Of The Girl
StateDept ?@StateDept
#SecClinton to launch initiatives to raise the status of girls at 11:00 AM EDT today; watch live: http://go.usa.gov/YBkF . #DayoftheGirl
On Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at 11:00 a.m., the eve of the first-ever International Day of the Girl Child, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will announce new public and private initiatives to prevent child marriage and promote girls’ education around the world. Secretary Clinton will make the announcement during remarks to a group of about 200 Girl Scouts, who are participating in a Girl Scout Day program at the Department of State, in the Marshall Center. In the past few decades, we have achieved much progress in raising the status of girls around the world, yet there are still millions of girls who are not in school or are forced into early marriages and early motherhood. The new initiatives can help raise the status of girls and will contribute to greater stability and security around the world.
Prior to her remarks, Secretary Clinton will meet with South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other public and private sector leaders to discuss strategies to raise the status of and improve the lives of girls worldwide.
read: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/10/198760.htm
Download the official
10.11.12 tookit!
Filled with resources, ideas, and checklists, this toolkit is the must-have item for your Day of the Girl plans.
Download the toolkit now!
Day Of The Girl -- Participate in 11 Days of Actions and join us for a live chat 7:00pm – 8:00pm.
http://dayofthegirlsummit.com/
= new reply since forum marked as read
. . . for the nation.
Congrats on your little ones! 
Feminism is one of those things that I always kind of poo-pooed at until my feminist wife opened my eyes to a lot of the subtle differences in which males and females are treated in our society. I think the biggest obstacle to equalizing the opportunities between boys and girls is that most of society really doesn't understand what these subtle differences are. Well intentioned people like me blindly think that both genders are equal and don't give feminism any additional thought. If we want to make a difference for girls (and future women) we need to make these differences more apparent to the masses.
Just look at the shoes that are available to little kids and toddlers. In the boys section you have boots and sneakers. In the girls section you have mostly "pretty" shoes. It is hard trying to find decent sneakers in the girls section that actually look suitable for playing and running around outside. Right from the get-go in life girls are being told that they aren't supposed to run around and play outside like a boy. Instead they need to look pretty.
Screw that. I play with my girls in the same way I'd play with a son (if I had one). My 4 year old knows what a "hurts, don't it" (say it so it sounds like a "hurts donut"
is. I throw her around on the bed, wrestle with her in the grass, and I do crazy stuff like try to teach her about science (I'm a chemist and science is very important to me). Little girls aren't any more fragile than little boys. We need to quit treating them like they are.
Anyways, sorry about the rant. I'm done 
Perhaps it's a bit daunting; maybe folks can't find themselves close enough to the actual event to have or make any substantive judgment. I magine that, in the larger picture of the world and national population of women, this must be a fraction of those who are actually affected by these issues raises, participating in any overt way.
But, it's likely to attract one or two folks who will perk up an ear over the duration of this event, and maybe, adopt some aspect of the advocacy and activism to benefit from and share out. Don't be too discouraged by a low reply count, and be sure to look for something in this event that you can relate to and benefit from; for your young ones and their futures.
