Happy International Women's Day!

Even though International Women's Day isn't an official holiday in Canada, it's still one of the most important awareness-raising days of the year, in my opinion. While I support all the health awareness holidays - like National Non-Smoking Week and Eating Disorders Awareness Week - few affect such a large sector of society. More than 50% of the world's population are women, but it doesn't stop there. I firmly believe that the way in which women are treated within a society affects everyone - including the men in their lives and the children they bear.

For this reason I hope that all of you will take some time to reflect on the meaning of equality - particularly as it relates to gender. To notice not only the many, many ways in which we have become a more equal society, but the many more ways (small and large) in which we still have a lot of work to do. And I'm not talking about patriarchal societies in far-off lands and developing countries, I'm talking about everywhere.

If you'd like to learn more about the history and meaning of this day, check out www.internationalwomensday.com and my post from last year that has links to some other awesome blogs. Now go give an awesome lady in your life a really big hug!