S: for Standing up for our Rights and the rights of others!

The tragedies facing women around the world are staggering. A chilling list of statistics facing the estimated 11 million women in Afghanistan, are only a small drop of the injustices facing women. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission recorded 2,374 cases of violence against women in 2007, including 165 cases of women setting themselves on fire. When your life is constantly faced with pain you try to end it and make a statement in the process. The commission concedes the number doesn't really reflect Afghan society because violent incidents often go unreported. According to the United Nations, one woman in Afghanistan dies every 29 minutes due to reproductive health related complications. Their average life expectancy is 44 years, about half that of a woman in Canada.

Honorata Kizende was hiding in a house when the soldiers came. She can smile again after surviving a four-year ordeal that almost destroyed her life. The men slapped, stripped and raped Kizende. Then they repeated these actions on her pregnant daughter and a friend the same way. It didn't end there "I did not belong to one person; I was for the use of everyone and anyone who needed me". This happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Thousands of women gathered around the globe Saturday to celebrate the collective power of women during International Women's Day. Kizende, 55, is now a spokeswoman for Women for Women International, a 16-year-old group that helps rebuild the lives of women victimized by violent conflict in countries such as Kosovo, Iraq and Colombia. An estimated 5.4 million people have died in Congo since 1998. There are hundreds of thousands of women who have been subjected to gang rape and sexual slavery. "To suffer in silence is the greatest suffering." To learn more for yourself or someone in need log onto www.internationalwomensday.com

International Women's Day, is a holiday celebrated world wide. We need to honor and acknowledge women’s struggles everywhere. A women's place in history is relatively undistinguished, yet it should be a source of pride and inspiration for isn't behind every great man is a great woman? How can their be great woman when there are F.A.C.T.S like these staring us in the face.