The Summit kicked off with a bang this morning.  About 200 leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean poured into our opening plenary session, where they were greeted by Summit Moderator and Former CNN International Anchor, Sonia Ruseler.

Throughout the course of the morning we heard from women leaders, including President Michelle Bachelet of Chile and Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton (pre-recorded), who reinforced the same message: empowering women will uplift nations and change the course of history.

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With hardly a moment to take breath as my colleagues and I organized a diverse spectrum of activities across Cameroon, a fascinating country where over 250 languages are spoken and the landscape ranges from the bustling congestion of the port city of Douala to the hilly rural areas spotted with homes adorned by spectacular tin-thatched roofs that reach up to the sky in a triangle shape. We were told that the more majestic the roof, the greater the status of the residents in terms of the village hierarchy.

We started our week with an introduction to the volunteer pilot committee and dedicated staff working on the AMA Market Women project, an initiative supported by Vital Voices Leadership and Advocacy Fund through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The pilot committee is an impressive group of men and women, all market traders themselves, who have volunteered their time to see through the realization of the project’s objectives, which are to strengthen the voice of women market traders in the areas of tax administration, public health and sanitation, and commercial regulation.
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As the official launch of the 2008 Olympics commences and over 100 countries join together in sportsmanship, this event- a celebration of unity, is undermined by the cruelty that divides us between those who have a voice and those who are denied their most basic freedoms.

The New York Times reports that China selected 08.08.08 for the official launch of the Olympic games because the word “eight” sounds like the word for “good fortune” in both Mandarin and Cantonese. Yet for China’s (approximate) 40 million Burmese neighbors, this time conjures anything but the notion of good luck.

Twenty years and one day prior, marks the death of an estimated 3,000 peaceful demonstrators and the continued severity of a devastating military regime that commits the most gruesome of atrocities against its people.
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The alliance between Vital Voices and Diane von Fustenberg, had me flying across the world this time . . . and it was an amazing experience!!!

More and more, as women, the awareness of who we are, our possibilities, our role in creating a beautiful world, become evident and fascinating!!! This week was a peek into it!!

Before the trip, I was somehow nervous . . . the journey from working with women in rural Guatemalan communities to Washington, through Vital Voices, seemed far enough!! But to be able to go into a totally new world, the Fashion World is something I never imagined . . . but was possible because of Diane working together with Vital Voices.

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To celebrate International Women’s day Vital Voices has planned various events across the globe. The London event was the first to kick off at the Diane von Furstenberg shop in Mayfair. As I arrived promptly at six for the cocktail I was greeted by all the Brower Lewis staff (Diane von Furstenberg’s PR people) and the wonderful sales assistants all dressed in various DVF dresses. Soon the shop was buzzing with a good atmosphere as it was filled with the 100 or so people who attended, including some guests who came all the way from Paris. With people talking, networking and shopping, it made for a very lively event. Women loved the fashion and quite a bit of shopping was done!
I spoke about Vital Voices and their role not only in training and empowering women leaders but also in combating Human Trafficking. Young women who I spoke to were very interested in the issue of Human Trafficking.
We all left with a bag, containing Vital Voices literature and a Diane von Furstenberg t-shirt.

Memories of a small woman with a huge voice leading hundreds of women in singing ‘Bread and ‘Roses’.
They were celebrating women who lived in a time when women’s rights had no name. Women whose names will never be known who had fought the shadow of injustice so that their daughters and granddaughters could live in the sun.

Memories of warmth and laughter as women of different traditions and communities in Northern Ireland stepped outside their own worlds, exchanged stories and discovered the pleasure in each other’s company

Memories now of watching a play in New York which honored the courage and determination in the lives of all such women across the world.

Through telling the stories of seven women who had embarked on journeys for which there were no footprints, the women playrights and actresses resonated the strength and determination of women around the world who make these lonely choices.

Humbled at being one of the seven, honored by the company I am keeping, marveling at the ingenuity
of the women in vital voices who used their space and power to insist that such voices be heard as of right and respected as the necessary pre condition for the health of our world.

Memories of a night of strength, of pain but most of all memories of a night of love and laughter in good company.

This morning Melanne and I joined Goldman Sachs in launching their 10,000 Women Initiative. It was an extraordinary event - a sea of primarily businessmen in black suits talking about the importance of investing in women to build a better future for us all.

But it was an even more extraordinary commitment - over the next five years Goldman Sachs will provide 10,000 women with a business and management education.
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For me, International Women’s Day comes as a great reminder. As IWD approaches, I can’t help but think of the women in my life who have invested their time, energy, love and nurture in me. These reflections conjure feelings of gratitude and remind me that I too, have many roles yet to fill- as a future mother or aunt, friend or mentor. International women’s day also inspires me to remember my heroes- trailblazers who fought for positive change and continue to pave the way for progress in their communities, countries, regions and beyond. The stories of these courageous women inspire me and remind me that I can also act to make change. I believe in the importance of investing in women’s leadership because I know that the kind of change I want to see in the world can only evolve from the joint efforts of both men and women.

This week kicks off a flurry of activities for Vital Voices, and for the women of the World.

Although widely celebrated from Russia to Indonesia to Nigeria - in the United States, International Women’s Day is just beginning to gain mainstream recognition.

For me, International Women’s Day on March 8th is an opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come and explore new ways to move forward.

A hundred years ago, leaders gathered to call for economic security and increased rights for women. The march of 15,000 women in New York in 1908 sparked a chain of events which three years later led to the founding of International Women Day in 2011. On Monday, as we begin International Women’s Week - Vital Voices is bringing together a new and diverse group of partners to kick off an innovative campaign to advance women and the world - gathering 100 years later to spark another a chain of events to foster greater investments in women’s leadership.

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What does International Women’s Day mean to you? Why do you think it is important to invest in women’s leadership?

Please join us with your thoughts and comments!