Editor's Note: This post is part of the 2011 Amplify International Women's Day Blogathon. Click here to learn more about how you can join this week of action.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. While we've come a long way over the last century, the fact remains that in many parts of the world, life is still a significant challenge for women, particularly young women. Whether she lives in a refugee camp, a rural village, or the capital of her country, a young woman often wages a daily battle against poverty, gender-based violence, child marriage, and inadequate access to family planning and reproductive health information and services, just to name a few.

Maybe it's this stark reality that helps explain why International Women's Day is more widely known in some regions of the world than others. I have to admit, I knew very little about the importance of March 8th before I moved overseas. I don't recall ever learning about it in school or ever seeing anyone celebrate it or even mention its significance when I was growing up. Yet millions of women across the globe have celebrated this day for 100 years and counting. It never occurred to me that I would have to travel thousands of miles to learn a lesson that should have been ingrained in me from an early age.

So, this March 8th, I want to take a moment to reflect on the strength and courage I have gained from 45 very special young women I had the privilege of calling my sisters. You see, for two years, I had the great fortune of helping to run an afterschool center for young women, aged 12-24, in Mauritania, West Africa. We utilized an array of activities from tutoring and internet workshops to life skills and health lessons, all in an effort to build self-esteem and encourage girls to stay in school and delay marriage and childbirth when possible. The most exciting event every year at the Center was our celebration of International Women's Day. Run by and for the young women themselves, this event always featured skits, essays, and songs written and performed by them, along with presentations from local women who had succeeded in becoming community leaders and role models. It was the one day of the year that my 45 sisters could really focus on themselves and their future aspirations. It was the one day of the year they didn't have to hear someone tell them they weren't worthy of dreaming of something better. And it was the one day of the year they didn't have to worry about being forced to leave school because of an arranged marriage with a much older man. Just imagine what the world would be like if every day was International Women's Day.



Fortunately, there are many things we can do to promote and celebrate women on this International Women's Day. Check out this great video posted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who makes the following case for prioritizing women in foreign policy:

"It's not just the right thing to do. It's the smart thing. Women and girls drive our economies. They build peace and prosperity. Investing in them means investing in global economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity for everyone—the world over."