Happy International Women’s Day
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” – Maya Angelou
I was born in the former Soviet Union, now known as Kiev, Ukraine, and grew up celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8th. My father gets my mom, myself, and my sister flowers and chocolates. Any male in the family or community calls (or now texts) wishing all the women in his life a happy March 8th. It wasn’t until I did some research that I came to understand why this holiday is so meaningful.
The earliest Women’s Day observance, which at the time was called National Women’s Day, was held on February 28, 1909 in New York. In August 1910, inspired by the New York demonstration, a general meeting occurred in Copenhagen, Denmark. Delegates, which included 100 women from 17 countries, agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights including suffrage for women. The next year on March 19, 1911, IWD was marked for the first time by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. In 1913, Russian women observed their first IWD on the last Saturday in February. In 1914, IWD was held on March 8thin Germany and now it is always held on March 8thin all countries.
On March 8, 1917, in the capital of the Russian Empire, women textile workers began a demonstration covering the whole city. This marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution. Women in Saint Petersburg went on strike that day for “Bread and Peace”, demanding the end of World War I, an end to Russian food shortages, and the end of czarism. Seven days later, the Emperor of Russia abdicated, and the provisional government granted women the right to vote. Following the Revolution, IWD was made an official holiday in the Soviet Union but it was a working day until 1965. The United Nations began celebrating IWD in 1975 and in 1977, the UN General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8thas UN Day for women’s rights and world peace.
Since then, the holiday has gained even more popularity with the UN having themes each year, starting in 2012. International Women’s Day 2019 campaign theme is #BalanceforBetter (https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme). In Russia, IWD has lost the political context through time and has become a day simply to honor women. In some countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania, it is also observed as an equivalent to Mother’s Day. In Italy, to celebrate the day, men give yellow mimosas to women.
All in all, March 8thsignifies the past troubles of women (though I acknowledge they aren’t all over yet) while also celebrating feminism. However, despite the increased attention on March 8th, remember to celebrate yourselves everyday – you deserve it!
Happy International Women’s Day!
Rada Lisitsa, WHF-PA Member
“Behind every successful woman, is a community of other successful women who have her back!” – Unknown
Women in Housing and Finance PA Members
Alexandra Moorhead | Sherick Project Management |
Alexis Paone | Pennrose |
Ali Mooney | |
Amy Lempert | |
Andi Sheaffer | Diamond & Associates |
Andrea Mannino | Econsult Solutions |
Angela Eicholtz | |
Angela Steele | New Courtland Elder Services |
Bernadette Hohenadel | Nikolaus & Hohenadel, LLP |
Beth Graham | Enterprise Community Investment, Inc. |
Beth Greenberg | LeadingAge PA |
Bethany Friel | TREK Development Group |
Brooke Schipporeit | Self Determination Housing Project of PA |
Carrie Rathmann | Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia |
Catherine Panas | |
Cecilia Loose | Mission First Housing Group |
Charles Lewis | Conifer Realty, LLC |
Cheryl Stulpin | Conifer Realty LLC |
Christine Paul | Diamond & Associates |
Christine Simiriglia | Pathway to Housing PA |
Cindy Picone | a.m. RODRIGUEZ ASSOCIATES inc. |
Dana Hanchin | Housing Development Corporation MidAtlantic |
Danielle Simons | SeniorCare Network |
Danika Dallam | SAA Architects |
Deborah J. Seitz | Lenhardt Rodgers Architecture + Interiors |
Elaine Magil | TCAM |
Elizabeth Beckett | Real Estate Strategies, Inc. |
Elizabeth Harriger | McKonly & Asbury LLP |
Erika Scharr | Karamer+Marks Architects |
Erin Hart | American HealthCare Group |
Heidi Griages | Allied Construction Services II, Inc. |
Imani Hamilton | Wells Fargo |
Jackie Patterson | Lenhardt Rodgers Architecture + Interiors |
Jaclyn E. Winchell | McKonly & ASbury LLP |
Jaquelin Camp | WRT |
Jayne Windham | Living Housing, Inc. |
Jeanine Dankoff | Berman Indictor LLP |
Jeanne Fields | Fulton Bank |
Jennifer Dougherty | NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania |
Jennifer Lewis | Sherick Project Management |
Jennifer Shockley | Association Independent Management |
Jessica Moore | Mission First Housing Group |
Jill Roberts | Clarifi/Healthy Rowhouse Project |
Joan Brodhead | Community First Fund |
Joyce Lenhardt | Lenhardt Rodgers Architecture + Interiors |
Joyce Sacco | Philadelphia Dept. of Behavioral Health Intellectual & disAbility Services |
Julia Hoskins | SDHP |
Karen M. Harris | CohnReznick |
Karen Welsh | UpStreet Architects Inc. |
Karla Wursthorn | TN Ward Company |
Karyntha Cadogan | Diamond and Associates |
Kate Murray | Mission First Housing Group |
Katherine (Katie) Walsh | Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority |
Kathy Wiercinski | Federation Housing, Inc |
Katya Noreika | Local Initiatives Support Corporation |
Kelley Coey | Hudson Companies |
Kierston Schantz | Mission First Housing Group |
Kimiko Doherty | Innova Services Corporation |
Kyla Bayer | Montgomery County Housing Authority |
Kyle Speece | Conifer Realty, LLC |
Laila Reilly | MaGrann Associates |
Lara Schwager | PIRHL, LLC |
Laura Blau | BluPath Design ::: BluPath Design |
Laura Guralnick | NRP Group |
Laura Northup | Mullin & Lonergan Associates, Inc. |
Leigh Jones | Sherick Project Management |
Lena Andrews | ACTION-Housing, Inc. |
Lianna Petroski | Enterprise Community Investment |
Linda Plesic | Century Engineering, Inc. |
Lindsey Samsi | Pennrose Properties |
Lisa J Chavara | Hudson Companies |
Lisa Kelly | First National Bank of Pennsylvania |
Lydia Walker | Community First Fund |
Maria Coutts | Coutts Group LLC |
Maria Duque-Buckley | Sherick Project Management, Inc. |
Mary Johannesen | Kitchen & Associates |
Mary Kay Eckenrode | |
Matthew Keen | Diamond and Associates |
Maureen Mastroieni | Mastroieni & Associates |
Megan Krider | FHLBank Pittsburgh |
Megan McGinley | Kitchen and Associates |
Melissa Flanagan | Berman Indictor LLP |
Michelle Yarbrough Korb | Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC |
Misty Elek | PIRHL, LLC |
Moira Rooney | Mission First Housing Group |
Monica Jindia | Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company |
Nancy Bastian | Cecil Baker + Partners |
Paula Hanifin | Elon Group LTD |
Penny Indictor | Berman Indictor LLP |
Rada Lisitsa | Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment |
Regina Mitchell | York Housing Authority |
Roy Diamond | Diamond and Associates |
Shannon Mowery | Pennrose Management Company |
Shoshana Bannett | Federation Housing, Inc. |
Stephanie Benson | Edgemere Development |
Susan McPhedran | Mission First Housing Group |
Susanne M. Hanson | JDAVIS |
Susanne Stone | Sherick Project Management |
Tamara Dudukovich | BNY Mellon |
Tammie Fitzpatrick | Community Basics, Inc. |
Toki Rehder | Pennrose Properties LLC |
Tori Engelstad | Catholic Health Care Services |
Tracey Nguyen | Baker Tilly Capital, LLC |
Tracy Purdy | Mosaic Community Land Trust |
Tracy Witherspoon | Voices of Independence |
Trish Schoor | |
Vanessa Murphy | TREK Development Group, Inc. |
Vidhi Anderson | Presby’s Inspired Life |
Wanda Whare | Nikolaus & Hohenadel, LLP |
Thanks for sharing this background, Rada!! Happy Women’s Day to all!!!
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