I thought hard of how to honor International Women's Day. But once I saw the beautiful and powerful online exhibition at the International Museum of Women called "MAMA: Motherhood Around the Globe," it became immediately clear.
MAMA is about the experience of pregnancy and motherhood, as viewed through the stories, voices, and videos of women from more than 60 countries.
But as this video so poignantly illustrates, it's so much more:
It's worth noting that for many women--even in the United States, which has one of the highest rates of maternal death in the industrialized world--birth can still be a terrifying, even dangerous, journey. According to the United Nations, a woman dies every 90 seconds from preventable causes during pregnancy and birth.
On this occasion of International Women's Day, as women who cherish connecting with other women about the small and big moments in our lives, let's take a moment to do something about this problem.
Christy Turlington Burns, who is working with the museum on the exhibit, hopes you will do something too.
“As a mother, a global maternal health advocate and founder of Every Mother Counts, I’m thrilled to support the MAMA exhibition," she said. "The diverse stories by mothers from all over the world are an inspiring way to educate the public about maternal health issues, and I encourage people to visit the website to take part in a global conversation on the challenges and possibilities facing mothers today.”
On the website you'll find a pledge for maternal health rights. In September 2012, the pledge will be delivered to government leaders and policy makers in a special event at the UN General Assembly. The goal is 10,000 signatures. Maybe yours will be one of them?
Happy International Woman's Day.
