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International Women’s Day
Recognizing and Celebrating Women
Opening Song: Power of Women by Karen Drucker
https://youtu.be/M5cOY2t-OZA?si=3P2hwDDvkhFOuwG7
Opening Prayer:
An International Women’s Day Prayer
Divine Mother, as we come to the end of Women’s History Month, we embrace the divine feminine energy that flows through all women. We recognize the nurturing, compassionate, and intuitive qualities that You have bestowed upon them. We pray that women may embrace their unique gifts and use them to bring healing, love, and peace to the world.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9
Grant women the courage to speak up against injustice, to advocate for the marginalized, and to be a voice for the voiceless. Bless their efforts, Amma, and let their voices echo with love and truth. Amen.
Reading 1
“Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?” Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general - but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women. That the problem was not about being human, but specifically about being a female human. For centuries, the world divided human beings into two groups and then proceeded to exclude and oppress one group. It is only fair that the solution to the problem acknowledge that.”
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Nigerian Author
Song
We Shall Be Known by MaMuse Performed by How We Thrive Virtual Choir
https://youtu.be/ft2reFzQtOI?si=PrKBGUFTHTodFwxS
Reading 2: Quotes on Women’s Rights
”Women should be celebrated every day, but a month dedicated to female empowerment is extremely special. It doesn’t just honor the iconic women who have changed history, but encourages new generations to dream big and know that anything is possible.”
- Molly McCook, in Forbes
pause
"I am those 66 million girls who are deprived of education. And today I am not raising my voice, it is the voice of those 66 million girls. Sometimes people like to ask me why should girls go to school, why is it important for them. But I think the more important question is why shouldn’t they? Why shouldn’t they have this right to go to school?"
“I raise up my voice — not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard... we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”
- Malala Yousafzai at Nobel Peace Prize Presentation, 2014
pause
"If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely—and the right to be heard."
- Hilary Clinton from 4th World Conference on Women, 1995
Pause
Intentions
Please share any prayer intentions you have this evening.
Closing Prayer: Whenever Women Gather by Jay Murnane
Whenever women of thought gather
Thoughtful women
Horizons are stretched wider.
Whenever women of heart gather
Compassionate women
Tender-strong eyes open to injustices,
Making connections.
Whenever women of soul gather
Generous women
There is solidarity, and a wide embrace,
A fulcrum of possibility
Which can fell walls,
Set voices free,
Illuminate alternatives
And heal shattered hopes.
Whenever women of wisdom gather
Free women,
daring women,
ingenious women
there is a drumming
in cadence with the song
at the center of all:
a co-creativity
a rumbling
a crumbling
of business-as-usual
and powers that be.
Whenever women of spirit gather
Feisty women
Laboring women
There is a birthing.
There is life, Sisters!
Closing Song: Woman Spirit by Karen Drucker, video by Mary Theresa Streck and Juanita Cordero
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