There have been amazing changes in the status of women in the world in my lifetime. The efforts of generations of women to liberate themselves from the restrictions and limitations imposed by government and society were being acted upon and changed in so many ways and have impacted my life, my mother’s life and those of my daughters.

Many from a younger generation feel that ‘all the battles have been won for women’ – -after all, more women than men are attending college and every career appears to be available to all. They are unaware of the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy.

“With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.” This is reported by the International Women’s Day website.

This celebration of women working for equality in the past, the present and into the future is marked by activities throughout the world. A women’s art show in California, a demonstration in Stockholm, a benefit to support orphaned children in China and 600 more events around the globe.

While there have been so many positive changes for women, we must not forget that there are societies which still favor the birth of a son over a daughter, rape is used as a weapon of war and terror, women are sold into slavery, trafficked for sex, their sexual organs mutilated and their features shrouded beneath burkas. I would not say that the work has been done.

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