- Sam Cook is the director of the PeaceWomen Project – a project of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom – the world’s oldest women’s peace organization founded in 1915 in the Hague. WILPF is an international non-governmental organization with national sections in 35 countries, covering all continents. Its international secretariat is based in Geneva with a New York United Nations office. The opinions expressed are her own. -

With the global financial crisis seemingly in every headline and a looming economic meltdown foremost on everyone's minds, the observance of International Women's Day on March 8 may not seem of immediate relevance. But it is.

Clara Zetkin, who is credited with first putting forward the idea of an international women's day in 1910, would likely have a lot to say about where we are today. She and other committed socialists of the women's and the peace movements in the U.S. and Europe whose work inspired this Women's Day would probably not be entirely surprised at what the dominant economic and political power ideologies of the last century have delivered.

Of course International Women's Day has grown beyond its working class roots in the early 1900's. Alongside the women's movement, we see now that global corporations and governments actively claim support of the day and its celebrations. The official website of International Women's Day claims this fact as a positive achievement. But, as someone who considers herself part of the peace and women's movements, this causes me no small measure of discomfort and adds to my mixed emotions about the day.

It is not that I don't appreciate the power and significance of an international day of observance of work for women's empowerment and gender equality. It is not that I think we have no need of attention to these issues. It is not that I feel that all the important achievements are the ones behind us - as the bumper sticker pinned above my desk reads, "I'll be a post-feminist in post-patriarchy." No, I believe that International Women's Day is an important reminder of the work that still needs to be done and it is certainly a powerful moment of solidarity across time and space.

It is fortifying to work with a sense of common cause with women from places as diverse as the cities of Latin America, the hamlets of Europe, the suburbs of North America and the villages and sprawling urban centres across Africa. It is inspiring to know that this work on a wide range of issues - from equal pay for equal work; to access to reproductive health services; and ending violence against women - is building on the work of generations of women before us. These are all reasons that make International Women's Day a day worth celebrating. But they are also the reasons that I want to reclaim the day. Reclaim it back from the hands of empty ritual and rhetoric and from those that treat it like another public relations opportunity.

I'm not saying that governments and corporations don't do "good things" or that they don't invest in gender equality and women's empowerment. But, when one looks at the bigger picture - including that revealed by this global financial crisis - those efforts seem less laudable. As with so many things, it is hard to get the true picture and see where priorities lie until you do the comparisons and look at the numbers.

As tax payers in the U.S. are aghast at upwards of $700 billion dollars going to "bail out" the financial system, little is said of the fact that this figure is also the approximate annual military budget of the U.S. Global military spending currently exceeds $1,204 billion dollars annually at 2006 prices. The combined budgets of the United Nations entities working on women's issues amounts to approximately 0.005 percent of that.

The World Bank estimates the cost of interventions to promote gender equality under Millennium Development Goal 3 (universal access to education) to be $7-$13 per capita. The world's military expenditure in 2006? $184 per capita. This is the financial crisis. That investing in weapons and war and creating human insecurity is prioritized over investing in peace, development and gender equality. This is what we should be questioning and working to change as we stand together on International Women's Day. And if the governments and corporations of the world really want to show their support for this day, then ending militarism would be a good place to start.

-- Ray Chambers is a philanthropist and humanitarian who has directed most of his efforts towards children. In 2008, the U.N. Secretary-General appointed him as his first Special Envoy for Malaria. The views expressed are his own. --

Malaria infects one quarter of a billion people each year. Nearly one million of those afflicted die, taxing overburdened health infrastructures and decreasing productivity in Africa, where 90 percent of cases occur.

In some countries on the continent, 60 percent of all outpatient visits are malaria related, with one quarter of worker absenteeism due to the disease. Taking all lost time and productivity into consideration, malaria costs Africa more than $30 billion annually.

The mosquito carrying the deadly malaria parasite makes no distinction when choosing its victim. Young or old, male or female, everyone in endemic regions remains at risk; however, International Women's Day on March 8th prompts us to examine independently the immense burden women shoulder as a result of malaria.

The disease strikes infants, children under five and pregnant women in astonishing disproportion, as these segments of the population account for 90 percent of malaria deaths. Given the dual role of women as both victim and primary protector of victims, malaria clearly belongs under the umbrella of traditional women's health issues.

It deserves particular recognition as a priority in maternal health, which the World Health Organization defines as pregnancy, childbirth and the six-week postpartum period.

Unfortunately, the early stages of motherhood in Africa can entail suffering, ill-health and even death, as one-in-five African newborns will not live to his or her fifth birthday.

Mothers confront an endless series of menaces, from malnutrition to dehydration, but almost nothing poses a greater threat to the well-being of their children than malaria, which claims three times as many young lives as HIV/AIDS.

Even those children who survive the disease often face lifelong challenges, as the disease robs their brain and body of nutrients at an early age. In turn, over 12 percent of children who do survive suffer long-term cognitive deficiencies.

Malaria raises additional implications with respect to maternal health. Pregnancy in Africa carries an inherent risk for mothers, too frequently resulting in maternal fatality.

When a pregnant woman contracts malaria, this risk becomes significantly greater. Moreover, pregnant women who have malaria also have a higher risk of delivering low-birth-weight babies, a major cause of infant mortality.

While the effects and consequences of malaria appear incredibly dispiriting, reason for hope exists, for we know that we can prevent deaths from malaria among women and children through the application of proven interventions, especially by having them sleep under a long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito net (LLIN).

Equally as important as this knowledge, we also have harnessed the collective global will and resources to turn the tide against malaria.

In 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a bold call to action to provide all endemic countries essential malaria control interventions by the end of December 2010, a call that rallied a broad coalition of funding and implementation partners, who have pledged over $3 billion in malaria funding.

At this moment, we can point to definite indicators of progress toward our overall goal of universal provision, with data revealing that LLINs now have been distributed to more than 40 percent of the population in endemic African nations, compared to less than 10 percent in 2005.

Over 140 million LLINs have been distributed over the past three years, offering protection to nearly 300 million people.

At the highest levels, women have led us to this unique moment in history. Dr. Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, and Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, represent only a few of the women who have had a most profound influence in mobilising support.

Concurrently, women have been galvanizing around malaria at a grassroots level, with advocates such as the mother of African soccer star Michael Essien leading malaria eradication programs.

While these and other women have guided us to a point filled with such promise, we hold no hope of reaching our target without the full engagement of women everywhere.

As evidenced with other issues, the unified commitment of women to a cause historically has yielded dramatic results. The collective contributions of women to the malaria effort will prove absolutely essential, especially as we work to increase LLIN utilisation throughout Sub-Saharan Africa in the next 22 months.

On this International Women's Health Day, the malaria community sits poised to complete an undertaking previously viewed as impossible and, in the process, alleviate the unique and terrible sorrow the disease imposes on women. And it is women on whom the success of this mission so dearly depends.

- Shelley Ross is secretary general of the Medical Women's International Association, a non-governmental organisation representing women doctors from all continents. The opinions expressed are her own. -

The Medical Women's International Association was created in 1919, not long after the first International Women's Day in 1911. MWIA's founder was an American by the name of Dr. Esther Pohl Lovejoy, who served as its first president. She was an obstetrician by training but an activist and humanitarian by action. Not only did she establish MWIA but she also founded the American Women's Hospital Service during the First World War.

The motto of the Medical Women's International Association, Matris Animo Curant, comes from Latin and translates to read, "She Heals with the Spirit of a Mother."

From the time of Hygeia in ancient Greece to present day, women have had a significance influence on the practice of medicine.

To name three of its objectives, MWIA (1) works to overcome gender-related differences in health and healthcare between women and men throughout the world, (2) works to overcome gender related inequalities in the medical profession and (3) works to promote health for all through the world with particular interest in women, health and development.

International Women's Day on March 8, gives us an opportunity to reflect on how we are doing with accomplishing these objectives.

Regarding gender-related differences in health and healthcare, a past Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, once said that no country treats their women the same as they treat their men. This is often more readily apparent in the developing countries, where family resources dictate that boys will receive medical care and girls will not. Reproductive health is another example of gender related differences in health care.

In 2009, women are still being denied skilled care during pregnancy, labour and delivery because they cannot access appropriate medical care. In sub-Saharan Africa, the cause is often lack of transportation to the medical facility whereas in the U.S., it is the lack of medical insurance.

Regarding gender-related inequalities in the medical profession, the biggest change has been in the number of women in medical school. In the developed world, female medical students equal if not surpass the number of male medical students. This has already changed the way medicine is practiced, as women have demanded a better work-life balance.

With this improvement in working conditions comes the danger of the profession becoming a Pink Collar profession, where the female predominance equates to lack of influence. One of MWIA's jobs is to ensure that there are enough women in leadership roles to ensure that medicine continues to have the ability to influence policy makers and advocate for those in need of health care.

The number of women in medical school does not equate with the number of women in higher academic positions, such as deans of medical schools or heads of departments. For those women who wish to climb the academic ladder, there are many obstacles along the way, including the lack of female mentors. On the other hand, many women doctors feel that there is no discrimination, as they are busy balancing home and work and are quite happy to keep their head above water with their required day to day activities.

MWIA has had some successes when it comes to promoting health for all. MWIA has written a manual on how to make sure health care has a gender perspective and a manual on adolescent sexuality. MWIA was very involved in promoting immunization against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is the leading cause of cancer of the cervix. Thanks to MWIA's work, there are many programs in schools that are immunizing girls and in some countries, boys, against this infection.

MWIA has spoken out for years against female genital mutilation (FGM). Dr. Koso Thomas of Sierra Leone wrote a book thirty years ago to help eradicate FGM, and recently starred in a Danish film, called "The Secret Pain," that looks at FGM in her home country. MWIA has recently spoken out about osteoporosis, to help improve women's awareness of the condition that predisposes them to major life changes. It is well known that once you have a hip fracture, your chance of leading an independent life ever again is less than 50 percent. MWIA holds international conferences that allow discussion on topics of timely interest. The next congress will be in Munster, Germany, in 2010. Visit the MWIA website at www.mwia.net for more information.

So, on International Women's Day, the question is whether things are as good as they are going to get for women and the answer is no. MWIA will continue to work to improve the lot of both women in medicine and the health of all women.

- Glenda Stone is chief executive and founder of Aurora, a recruitment advertising and market intelligence company, and co-chairs the UK Women's Enterprise Taskforce established by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The opinions expressed are her own. -

Most venture capital and angel investment tend to go to a specific breed of entrepreneur - innovative, well networked, intelligent, confident ... male. Is this the result of deep-rooted discrimination or is this simply an issue of supply and demand? Women-owned businesses are largely under-capitalised and this leads to inhibited growth.

Access to finance is cited by numerous sources as the greatest barrier to the growth of women's enterprise but "access" is only the consequence and "education" is the cause. More women need to participate in business education addressing business growth, technology, revenue models, and securing correct types of finance.

Globally women-led businesses receive less than 5 percent of venture capital. Women business owners also seek less bank loans and overdraft facilities. Regardless of country, women are more frugal - they do more with less, for less. Is this a flattering positive or is this a naive flaw that perpetuates women's relegation to micro enterprise?

I co-chair a taskforce established by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. We advise on strategy relative to increasing the quantity and scalability of women's enterprise. If women started and grew businesses at the same rate as their male counterparts, the economy would experience greater wealth and job creation and, needless to say, generate further substantial tax revenues for government.

The private sector is keen to encourage emerging markets of women entrepreneurs because this can result in an expanded customer base and vertical cross-selling opportunities. One of the biggest challenges facing the Taskforce is the disproportionate interest in micro versus fast-growth businesses, not so much from the private sector or senior experts in central government, but from business support providers and the actual women themselves. Perhaps the fast-growth female led businesses are simply busy doing business and do not view gender-based networks as relevant.
In addition to government programmes and private sector support typically from finance and technology corporations, thousands of businesswomen's networking groups also exist around the world to encourage and support the rise of female entrepreneurs. Serving an important need, many of these networks provide various training programmes and events but the networks themselves usually lack revenue models and so each month many new networks launch while others simply disappear.

Although recent years have seen an emergence of women's funding networks predominantly in the US, Canada and the UK, most networks tend to focus on micro-enterprise and social networking rather than on formal business education. In addition, media coverage tends to focus on small women-owned businesses in retail that have a good story for high audience appeal rather than on the more scalable and complex business-to-business enterprises that may be of less interest to mainstream media audiences.

Media coverage of women starting their business from the kitchen table in an area they have always enjoyed as a consumer, all while working flexibly caring for children, certainly predominate both online and offline media. Such stereotypes, while important for their inspiration, simply reinforce a narrow concept of women's enterprise. "Women's enterprise" is often acknowledged as one homogenous group with little market segmentation. Is this ignorance or because it is a market not considered to be worth pursuing?

International Women's Day on March 8, celebrated annually since 1911, provides an excellent opportunity for reinforcing the importance of women's equality through economic advancement - and creating wealth through enterprise is key to this. With around 15 per cent increase in the level of International Women's Day activity year on year around the world, there is certainly considerable energy for positive change.