March 8 is International Women’s Day!

What do Women for Peace and Democracy – Nepal, CORDI – India and Women in Action – Guatemala have in common? Well they are not only all field partners of World Accord, they are also organizations primarily concerned with helping women in extremely disadvantaged situations to build community and create better lives for themselves and their families.

I recently went to hear Dr. Samatha Nutt of War Child speak in Kitchener and was very impressed by her forthright sharing on how to make the world a better place. She doesn’t pull any punches but states things as she sees them. Programs that focus on long term sustainable development using local partners with a focus on providing opportunities for woman and girls are the key to achieving lasting change. I hope that sounds familiar since it has been a major part of World Accord’s work since our inception more than 30 years ago.

How can we help? We really – REALLY – need to educate ourselves first about the issues. As Samantha Nutt puts it, there is little correlation between good intentions and the achievement of sustainable development. There are even books out talking about exactly that. “When Helping Hurts” is a book that “…addresses the hard truths behind the ways that Christians often attempt to alleviate poverty without addressing the actual needs that poor people have . . . especially such as low self-esteem, lacking confidence, and needing stronger relationships with one another.”

Even Haitians have referred to their country as “The Graveyard of Good Intentions” So educating ourselves on the core issues is absolutely central to doing more good than harm with our efforts to make the world a better place. This International Women’s Day I would urge you to EDUCATE YOURSELF. Get a book on women’s issues. Nutt’s book “Damned Nations” is a powerful educational piece. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend reading it. The Pink Pagoda: One Man’s Quest to End Gendercide in China is now available.

The list of good resources is long. Just Google “Women and Poverty” or “violence against women” and dedicate some time to learning. We can’t change the world if we don’t truly understand the problems. The opposite is even more important. We CAN change the world if we really DO understand the problems. This International Women’s Day, let’s get intentional about learning. I know I will.

If you men want to do more, try walking a mile in women’s shoes (metaphorically would be best) and hey – you could always designate a donation to one of our women’s programs.