happy international women's day!

What? you didn't celebrate? For shame! Somehow, the US just has not picked up very well on this fantastic tradition. in some countries, women receive flowers and parades. (ok, i'm not sure about the parades. but they should). I've spent the last entire week at the UN for the Commission on the Status of Women, talking to amazing women, hearing amazing women (and men) speak about all sorts of world issues and how they affect women, and worked on raising awareness about how women are impacted by climate change. I could launch into a lecture (or elevator speech that I have prepared just in case I run into visiting dignitaries at the UN), but instead, i'm just going to point you in this direction, and ask you to go read more about it, instead of write an essay (I'll save that for the essay I really do have to write for my advocacy class).

So, many of you know that I am a feminist (come on, don't make that face, you know me and I haven't burned any of my bras and I think men are rather decent creatures) and I care a lot about women's issues, most recently gender-based violence and climate change. Well, in case you were wondering where that came from, I happened to attend quite a few meetings with the Finnish delegation-- on violence against women and climate change. It's in my blood. I was completely tickled to dialogue with the Finnish foreign minister about sexual exploitation of women in pornography and how that leads to a culture of violence against women (they are against that, by the way). It was fantastic. Swoon.

On a completely seperate note, I just started reading this book given to me by my good friend Sarah Monson called "Why can't I fall in love? A 12-step program" by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (aka, the Love Prophet. you may recognize him from such titles as "The Kosher Sutra" or "Kosher Sex"). Laugh if you must, I did at first as well and tucked it on my shelf with another best seller I found discarded on the sidewalk "Love is Letting Go of Fear" (how could someone let go of that treasure?). But I'm dead serious, this may actually prove to be a useful read, if for nothing but Rabbi Shmuley's distaste for "The Rules." I can think of about 10 people I want to pass this book along to next. I'm just sayin', it might be just what all you lonely people need out there (ahem, everyone reading the blog Why Mormon Girls Stay Single).