•10:01 AM
In 1910, at the second International Conference of Working Women, a woman named Clara Zetkin, brought forth the idea of selecting one day, each year, in which every country in the world would recognize and celebrate women, coming together to work toward their advancement. The idea was met with unanimous enthusiasm and the International Women's Day was born.
The very first International Women's Day was held on March 18, 1911. Today is the 99th year it will be celebrated.
I am a strong believer that a woman can do anything a man can do. I believe that a woman could be the one to find the cure for cancer; I believe a woman could build a garden shed - if she wanted to; and I believe that nobody can kiss away the hurt, better than a woman. And, I also believe that my daughters can do whatever they set their minds to - professionally or personally. They will have many opportunities afforded to them. But it has not always been that way for women. So, take some time today and appreciate the women of the world, and the things they have accomplished. The Moms and the Gramas, those who have risen to the tops of their professions, those who struggle, those who lead, those who teach, those who heal, those who you admire for whatever reason. Celebrate their greatness, and not just because they are women, but because of who they are as people.
In acknowledgement of International Women's Day, I decided to investigate the women of Canada. I could write about my Mom, or my mother-in-law, or my Grama, or a neighbour that was a great friend to me when I was a teenager - they are all truly great women and wonderful role models. But I wanted to reach out, broaden my knowledge of the women who had made a difference in Canada, and I was drawn to one woman in particular ... the first woman to sell more than one million copies of her book. And guess what? Hers was the first book written by any Canadian author to do it - man or woman.
Margaret Marshall Saunders was born on May 18, 1861 in Nova Scotia. She grew up the daughter of a minister and co-founded the Maritime Branch of the Canadian Women's Press Club with Lucy Maude Montgomery. Who is Lucy Maude Montgomery, you ask? She wrote the Anne of Green Gables 
series - I'm sure you've heard of it, especially if you were once a little girl who grew up in Canada.
While visiting her sister in Meaford, Ontario, Ms. Saunders heard the story of a rescued dog, who had been horribly abused, and was inspired to write Beautiful Joe. The tale is told in the voice of the dog, and has been selected as one of the top-ten children's books in Canada. It was first published in 1893, and by the 1930's had sold more than 7 million copies world wide. It was also the first Canadian novel to be translated into Esperanto, and then later into fourteen different languages. Not bad for a woman who originated from a small town on the east coast of Canada.
I think I have located a copy of Beautiful Joe, so you can expect that it will be one of those substitutes I have talked about previously.
Ms. Saunders spent her life advocating for women's rights and the humane treatment of animals; she continued writing as well. Her home was always filled with pets, and she liked to name them after the location they were found; my favourite is a little doggy named Johnny Doorstep. Ms. Saunders died on February 15, 1945, at her home in Toronto. She was eighty-five years old.
And so, I will spend some moments today thinking of all the great women I know ... and some I wish I had met.
The very first International Women's Day was held on March 18, 1911. Today is the 99th year it will be celebrated.
I am a strong believer that a woman can do anything a man can do. I believe that a woman could be the one to find the cure for cancer; I believe a woman could build a garden shed - if she wanted to; and I believe that nobody can kiss away the hurt, better than a woman. And, I also believe that my daughters can do whatever they set their minds to - professionally or personally. They will have many opportunities afforded to them. But it has not always been that way for women. So, take some time today and appreciate the women of the world, and the things they have accomplished. The Moms and the Gramas, those who have risen to the tops of their professions, those who struggle, those who lead, those who teach, those who heal, those who you admire for whatever reason. Celebrate their greatness, and not just because they are women, but because of who they are as people.
In acknowledgement of International Women's Day, I decided to investigate the women of Canada. I could write about my Mom, or my mother-in-law, or my Grama, or a neighbour that was a great friend to me when I was a teenager - they are all truly great women and wonderful role models. But I wanted to reach out, broaden my knowledge of the women who had made a difference in Canada, and I was drawn to one woman in particular ... the first woman to sell more than one million copies of her book. And guess what? Hers was the first book written by any Canadian author to do it - man or woman.
series - I'm sure you've heard of it, especially if you were once a little girl who grew up in Canada.While visiting her sister in Meaford, Ontario, Ms. Saunders heard the story of a rescued dog, who had been horribly abused, and was inspired to write Beautiful Joe. The tale is told in the voice of the dog, and has been selected as one of the top-ten children's books in Canada. It was first published in 1893, and by the 1930's had sold more than 7 million copies world wide. It was also the first Canadian novel to be translated into Esperanto, and then later into fourteen different languages. Not bad for a woman who originated from a small town on the east coast of Canada.
I think I have located a copy of Beautiful Joe, so you can expect that it will be one of those substitutes I have talked about previously.
Ms. Saunders spent her life advocating for women's rights and the humane treatment of animals; she continued writing as well. Her home was always filled with pets, and she liked to name them after the location they were found; my favourite is a little doggy named Johnny Doorstep. Ms. Saunders died on February 15, 1945, at her home in Toronto. She was eighty-five years old.
And so, I will spend some moments today thinking of all the great women I know ... and some I wish I had met.
1 comments:
Very interesting!! You are pretty great yourself, Jill!