Equality for women is progress for all

Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Empowering Women

Each year International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women's Day was held over 100 years ago. Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.
 
The UN unwomen.org.au/ declares an International Women's Day theme and for 2015 the United Nations declared the theme, Equality for women is progress for all.

This theme is very fitting for us as a women’s Missionary Congregation working in many countries throughout the world to empower women, to work for women and for the eradication of poverty. We are reminded of this in our new constitutions: We give special attention to the unjust treatment of women and children (59 D)

As sisters, working with women from many countries around the world, we know how imperative it is for a country’s development that women have full human rights, including clean water, food, and access to education &health facilities.

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on what we, as Australian OLSH sisters, are doing to help better the life of women; it is also a time for us to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary sisters and the women they work with. We are privileged to have as our role model Marie Louise Hartzer, wife, mother, refugee and our first Congregational leader; an ordinary woman whose witness to outstanding courage, perseverance, action and faith has played an extraordinary role in the history of our Congregation.

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