On March 8th, a global celebration of the female spirit took place in the form of International Women’s Day. Around the world, men and women took a moment to honor the contributions that females make to society through financial, economic, and cultural contributions.

While the sponsorship and rights of women have grown exponentially since the times of aggressive female oppression, there are still many injustices on the global scale; as there are still many nations who refuse to recognize the crucial and far-reaching benefits and strides that women have made possible throughout history. In many third world nations and developing regions, women miss out on educational opportunities due to their inability to have the proper feminine hygiene products during their menstrual cycle. In addition to this, many women do not receive the same respect or backing to pursue their career goals, especially in the field of science.

In the United States, women have made huge strides in regards to equality in legislation, however many inequities still exist, such as the fact that menstruation products are still taxed, while rogaine and viagra (products used by men) are free of tax. Additionally, there is still a hugely disproportional amount of females in Congress and other political roles, as well as in the STEM fields.

To show support and solidarity many women refrained from going to work or making purchases, in an attempt to display the huge significance and role that women play in society as well as the economy. Wearing the color red was also a way that women and men chose to show their support for this campaign as well.

When asked about women not attending work for the day, a group of senior girls at Camas explained that they “understand the intent behind walking out on work”, but feel as though this is a bit of a contradiction, as Amy Osterhage, a senior, states that “Women worked so hard to be able to be in the workplace and considered an equal by their male counterparts, not all women have the opportunity to hold a job, rather than not attending work, they should show up and explain the value and importance of women, and teach about their strength and confidence.”

Within Camas, many clubs, such as the International Human Rights Club, and Camas’s Days for Girls Chapter, which raises funds to provide women in third world nations with feminine hygiene products, are working to bolster the rights of women globally and within the nation to inspire girls to promote women’s rights and equality, as well as inspire young girls to follow their dreams and pursue a variety of careers.

Women have come so far in their journey to equality; time after time proving their abilities and importance as just as amazing and capable as men. There is still a long way to go on both the global and national scale, but it is inspiring to see so many passionate women and men working together to promote equality and unity, inspiring every girl to feel the power to cheer from the rooftops “Yes We Can!”.