• French minister defends 5-day baby leave
• High prevalence of child marriage in India
• Confronting medical issues for women
• Africa the worst hit by AIDS, by far
• An International Women's Day call for women to know their osteoporosis risk
• Toll of Malaria high for African women
• London 2012 - a chance to nurture strong female role models
• Being a woman
• Violence against women
• I want to go to school
• Men and women together for a better world: From Uzbekistan in Central Asia
• Closing the Gender Gap on International Women's Day - and Every Day
• It is now more dangerous to be a woman than to be a soldier in modern
• Sewing a better future on International Women's Day
• Pakistan's women struggle for recognition
• S.Arabia urged to halt floggings, give women rights
• Reporters stripped by S.Leone circumcision society
• Agree to differ over women bishops - Anglican leader
• Few women follow pre-pregnancy recommendations
• India grapples with high maternal death rate
• Olympics-Women's boxing takes step closer to Games inclusion
• Human rights still poor in Africa, US says
• Birth control knowledge lacking in developing world
• In hard times, more U.S. women try to sell their eggs
• Billie Jean King targets gender unity
• A drink a day poses cancer risk for women
• Are women the key to soft power?
• Why Isn't Anne Burras Famous?
• Baby-Boomer Women Have Experienced Gender Issues
• Cost of a life was worth $2.00
• The Alternative - Developing Culture of Peace
• Women's self awareness and leadership
• Women and Sport
• Being A Woman
• IWD in Kenya
• Women demand bigger say in UN climate talks
• Norway tops gender gap index, Yemen ranked worst
• Educating girls single most effective strategy for economic growth
• China sees more female than male suicides per annum
• 4 in 10 births worldwide not attended by doctor or health professional
• Number of women holding university qualifications overtaken men for first time
• Gender gap closing on health and education but not economics and politics
• Harassment forces Afghan girls out of school
• Women's rights key to Africa AIDS crisis
• Vodka for women said to fuel Russia's acoholism
• Add an article

Being A Woman

*This article was submitted by Orit Yeret, University student.

What is a woman? A human creature? A daughter, a wife, a mother? Defined by men or standing on her own what does she want? Sometimes I think I will never find the answer to this question.

As a young woman taking her first steps into womanhood, I often find myself struggling in a world made up of conflicting messages about what a woman is, or what she should be. It is obvious to blame the media for this problem, but these notions are deeper than that. It is people around the world that continue to reinforce the misguided views about women, especially when it comes to their place in society.

Even in the 21st century, women are still excluded from discussions about war or national security, and mostly presented with issues regarding health and family life. Why is it so difficult to detach women and family? Why is the woman so often being judged by her remarkable ability to juggle between her family, her career and her personal life?

My guess is that it all dates back to ancient times, when a woman was treated as property. The father would pass along his daughter, to the largest bidder, and the result was, of course, marriage and children and a lifetime of slave-like behavior, when the woman was expected to tend after her husband's every need.

Luckily, we have out-grown that era. Nowadays women have rights and they are treated equally, most of the time. Unfortunately, the notions about a woman's place in society, as well as her place within her family, are still conflicted.

To take the journey of the average woman is to go from being someone's daughter, on to being someone's wife and someone's mother, and grandmother and so on. Even her family name says nothing about her; it is first her father's and then her husband's. As she enters the new family, she changes her being as well, from a receiver, to a giver - a giver of life.

To me, a woman is everything. She is sensitive and assertive, she is beautiful and unique. She is God's creation, just like the man is, and she should never be sat apart or excluded from anything that she wants to do. A woman is life, and what does she want? To do whatever she wants - it is as simple as that! It is true to say that the idea about what is a woman, is changing all the time, but it is also important to state that those ideas are changing because women all over the world are making it happen!

I must point out that by writing this article, I have learned new things about myself, most of all that anything is possible. I can only say that I felt empowered by reading the articles on the IWD website and by seeing the pictures, it made me realize that the change comes from within us and that we must share it with the world. ... more

Whats your opinion?