Land Ownership Rights; Reproductive Freedoms; Education still at issue in many countries
PASADENA, CA—A press conference will be held on Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Western Justice Center, 55 S. Grand Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105 to bring attention to the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day(IWD) – a day celebrated as an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam – but not in the U.S.
In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother’s Day. In the United States we have seen more women visible in impressive roles in every aspect of life, but we should not be lulled into thinking that women have gained true equality. Women are still not paid equally – 81 cents to a man’s dollar for white-collar management work. Even doctors are subject to pay inequities.
Honor killings, female genital mutilation, no education for girl children are all reality for many women in the world today. Women perform two-thirds of the world’s work, earn one tenth of the income, and own less than one per cent of the world’s property.
For the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, Women’s History Month and also World Leadership Day, 50/50 Leadership and the United Nation Association Pasadena/Foothills Chapter will hold its 3rd annual Women of the World awards honoring three diverse and influential women whose commitment to activism creates an astounding impact across the globe. Saturday, March 12, 2011 is the date of the 3rd Annual Women of the World Awards. The afternoon will include a special introduction for one nominee from actress/ambassador Stephanie March, most known for her role as an Assistant District Attorney on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The Women of the World Awards spotlight the achievements of amazing women who are committed to changing their environments through a variety of non-profit organizations and/or grassroots organizing. This year’s winners are Andrea Herz Payne, founder of Aid Still Required, Tracy McCubbin, co-founder of OneKid OneWorld, and Mireya Asturias Jones, mentor with theInternational Women’s Coffee Alliance. The three winners are selected from a pool of over a dozen finalists. This year’s award ceremony will be held from 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. at the Brookside Golf Course, in Pasadena , CA . The event will also feature filmmaker Tiffany Persons and author/actress Sarah Culberson.
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. Anne Frank
"This…is supporting projects that are offering free schooling to middle and high school-aged children, and free medical care and counseling to women who have been attacked," said Aid Still Required co-founder Andrea Herz Payne. "It's remarkable how much good we can do..."
Highlights will include a speech by past WOW honoree Tiffany Persons, a movie producer and the founder of Smile On Sierra Leone. Persons is a featured blogger on the Huffington Post. Also attending is noted author, actress and activist Sarah Culberson. Culberson penned, A Princess Found, an autobiographical account of her search for her biological roots that led to the discovery of her royal heritage. In addition to Culberson and Persons.
“One of the most beautiful elements of the work that I do is having the opportunity to time travel. With just an 18-hour flight to Sierra Leone , I am able to experience life of a different time. It is the one thing that no matter how hard I try, I cannot share with a donor, here in America . I can, however, share hard-hitting statistics and heart wrenching stories that make even the most detached human being take notice,” Tiffany Persons writes.
The Women of the World (WOW) Awards are a collaboration between 50/50 Leadership and UNA-USA Pasadena. Winners are selected from nominated entries. Entrants must have made a difference in the lives of women and girls in another country. Nominations are accepted of women of all ages, heritages, countries and professions. However, winning is designated for accomplished women leaders who are pioneers in their field and who continue to inspire others to set strong goals for themselves. The WOW Award is a way to celebrate female heroes and to promote gender equality throughout the globe. Last year’s winners were Whitney Kroenke, Dr. Shilpa Sayana, and Dr. Riane Eisler.
“The most important thing a community can do is continually push the point, raise awareness, raise money and, above all, keep at it,” Stephanie March, actress, Law & Order: SVU.
This year’s awards honor the top 3 Women of the World 2011, as selected by a panel of esteemed judges with prior commitments to public service. The panel selected the three winners from a jury of 17 finalists. The criteria for judging include impact, location, and sponsoring organization. At the gala, 50/50 Leadership and UNA will honor the winners, who will each receive an award for their achievements. The ceremony is open to the public. Interested parties can purchase tickets for $35 per person, $15 for Students, or $300 for a table of 10 online at www.5050Leadership.org, via email to WOW@5050Leadership.org or call (818) 243-2322. The awards will be held at Brookside Golf Course, 1133 N. Rosemont Avenue, Pasadena 91103 .
More than two dozen women have been nominated for the Women of the World Awards since the program first began in 2009. The first and second annual awards were completely sold out. Additional sponsors and celebrity presenters will be announced in the weeks to come.
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If you'd like more information about this event, the organization, or to schedule an interview with a winner, please call Pauline Field at 818-694-0588 or email Pauline atpfield@5050Leadership.org.
50/50 LEADERSHIP is comprised of women and men from all walks of life who agree that leadership should reflect the gender of the population: women make up half, or more, of our population and should be included in equal numbers in boardrooms, in elected office, in academia, in the professions and in all public and private enterprises and endeavors.50/50 Leadership’s mission is “to empower women as leaders and to transform the culture within which we live to one that naturally includes women on an equal basis in the selection of leaders.”
THE UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (UNA-USA) is a national organization dedicated to strengthening the U.N. system and to enhancing U.S. participation in that system. UNA-USA carries out its action agenda through a unique combination of public outreach, policy analysis, and international dialog. UNA-USA provides information and educational services on the work of the United Nations and on other global issues for students, scholars, Congress, business leaders, and media. Each year it coordinates the observance of U.N. Day (October 24) commemorating the establishment of the United Nations in 1945.
STEPHANIE MARCH is an actress and a celebrity ambassador for charitable organization World of Children. March is most known for her role as ADA Alexandra Cabot on television’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She is also wife to celebrity chef Bobby Flay.
TIFFANY PERSONS is the founder and director of Shine On Sierra Leone, an innovative non-profit organization that actively raises awareness for Sierra Leone ’s incredible needs and creates sustainable programs to promote thriving self-sufficient communities and rich cultural experiences in both Sierra Leone and the United States .
SARAH CULBERSON is the biological daughter of one of Sierra Leone 's 149 chiefdoms. Culberson was adopted one year after her birth by a West Virginia couple and was raised in the United States with little knowledge of her ancestry. In addition to being a princess, she is an actress, author, dancer and activist with appearances on Oprah, Lifetime television, and is the founder of the Kposowa Foundation.
ANDREA HERZ PAYNE founded Aid Still Required because she knew that areas of the world that suffer devastation, such as Indonesia, Haiti and Louisiana, need more help than is given during the short time that the media are focusing on them. Aid Still Required brings hope to the people in these areas.
TRACY MCCUBBIN co-founded OneKid OneWorld because there were too many children in developing countries who do not have what they need to succeed. OneKid OneWorld’s goal is to provide an education to children in impoverished communities through the creation of academic and athletic programs. OneKid OneWorld ensures the sustainability of these programs by rebuilding schools using green technologies and forging partnerships with U.S. students, instilling in them a lifelong commitment to social responsibility. One soccer ball and one notebook can have a profound effect on the lives of kids who have nothing.
MIREYA ASTURIAS JONES, concerned at the imbalance between coffee producing countries and coffee consuming countries, helps women in coffee producing countries become more independent and prosperous. She connects North American consumer coffee industries to women producers in Latin America through the International Women’s Coffee Alliance. By mentoring women in coffee producing countries, she helps strengthen their leadership and technical skills. She is currently expanding her efforts to East Africa and Japan by sharing her best business practices there. To date, there are more than 20 chapters forming, representing upward of 3,000 women directly impacted by the programs.
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