TWH – Today is International Women’s Day! It is “is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality.”
Preceding IWD, the Socialist Party of America established the first National Woman’s Day (NWD) which was observed across the United States on February 28.
Three years later, IWD was officially established in 1911, one year after the idea for an international day celebrating women was proposed by Clara Zetkin at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910. The proposal was met with unanimous approval by over 100 women from 17 countries who attended representing unions, socialist parties, working women’s clubs, and also included the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament.
Just a little over two weeks after the 1911 celebration, on March 25, the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire heavily underlined the need for industry reform and safer working conditions. The 146 people, mostly Italian and Jewish immigrant women, who died that day are still remembered annually as an example of why safety and labor regulations are necessary.
The theme for this year is Choose to Challenge:
A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.
From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.
There remain many obstacles for women to challenge around the globe this year. Switzerland is the latest country where its citizens have voted to impose a ban on women wearing niqabs and burqas in public spaces. (A niqab covers the face and leaves the eyes visible, while a burqa covers the wearer from head to toe and has a mesh screen for the wearer to be able to see out of.) The new law would not be applied to face coverings for health purposes.
The Swiss people voted in a narrow majority of 51.2% for the ban, which the Swiss government opposed. Several other European countries that including Austria, France, Denmark, and The Netherlands have all issued similar bans in recent years. The Swiss government has two years to draft the legislation for the ban.
In Istanbul, Turkey women and thousands of people took to the streets today to denounce the prevalence of violence which killed over 400 women last year. So far this year, 68 women have been killed. Demonstrators were demanding action be taken to protect women from domestic and familial violence and that Turkey’s government honor with their commitment to the European treaty on combating violence against women.
In Pakistan, women took part in the “Aurat” March (aurat means woman in Urdu) for the third year to call attention to the particular inequality within healthcare that the pandemic has shown a light on, as well as the violence that Pakistani women face, both domestically, and online. The platform for this year’s march also includes calls for an allocation of 5% of GDP to expand the health budget; the implementation of a COVID-19 plan for women and minorities; equitable recognition of women’s labor; and the allocation of more health resources for women and transgender people.
Noor, who could not give surname for fear of reprisal said “Online, women are using the hashtag #PatriarchyKaPandemic (“Patriarchy’s Pandemic”) to mobilise women and call out everyday violence against women by ‘airing dirty laundry’. ”
The overall mission of International Women’s Day is to celebrate the achievements of women: socially, economically, and culturally, as well as their political achievements. It also symbolizes an international call to action for gender equality.
The entire month of March is dedicated to celebrating Women’s History. Since many of the centennial celebrations slated for 2020 were either canceled or shifted to online programming due to pandemic restrictions, the National Women’s Alliance opted to extend last year’s theme, “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced” to 2021.
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Emory oak grove at Oak Flat, AZ – Image credit: Copyright © 2020 Elias Butler Photography All Rights Reserved – CC-BY-SA-4.0
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – In an update to the proposed and strongly opposed copper mine in Chi’chil Bildagoteel (Oak Flat), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) directed the Forest Service to withdraw the Notice of Availability and rescind the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and draft Record of Decision (ROD) for the Resolution Copper Project land swap.
In a press release, the USDA announced it would be conducting a thorough review:
The project is proposed on Oak Flat, a site sacred to numerous Federally Recognized Tribes in the Southwest. The Department is taking this step to provide an opportunity for the agency to conduct a thorough review based on significant input received from collaborators, partners, and the public since these documents were released.
The recent Presidential Memorandum on tribal consultation and strengthening nation to nation relationships counsels in favor of ensuring the Forest Service has complied with the environmental, cultural, and archaeological analyses required.
USDA has concluded that additional time is necessary to fully understand concerns raised by Tribes and the public and the project’s impacts to these important resources and ensure the agency’s compliance with federal law.
USDA and the Forest Service also understand that under federal law that the Forest Service has limited discretion related to protection of Oak Flat. Because the Resolution Copper Mine and Land Exchange Project was directed under the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, long term protection of the site will likely require an act of Congress. USDA and the Forest Service cannot give a precise length of time for completing the re-initiation of consultation but consultations such as this generally take several months.
While this puts a halt to any immediate transfer of the land to Rio Tinto and its subsidiary, Resolution Copper, the fight is far from over.
An attorney for the Apache Stronghold group, Michael Nixon as reported by the Associated Press said, “Oak Flat is still on death row,” he said. “Essentially, they’re just changing the execution date.”
San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler said in a released statement, “This is the right move by the Department of Agriculture. The Resolution project will desecrate Chich’il Bildagoteel, also known as Oak Flat, which is the heart of our religious and cultural beliefs.”
A Resolution Copper spokesperson said, “[the company] is evaluating the Forest Service’s decision to rescind the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Record of Decision. In the meantime, we will continue to engage in the process determined by the U.S. government and are committed to ongoing consultation with Native American Tribes and local communities.”
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey was critical of the decision, and in a statement said, “I am extremely disappointed in the administration’s decision to cease progress on Arizona’s Resolution Copper project, which is set to grow jobs and is estimated to create a direct and indirect economic impact of more than $1 billion to Arizona’s economy every year.”
A wide range of organizations that include environmental groups, religious liberty scholars, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Poor People’s Campaign have thrown their support behind those expressing tribal concerns and their efforts to stop the land swap.
As noted in the USDA statement, it will likely require the intervention of Congress to preserve the ancestral land the Apache call Chi’chil Bildagoteel.
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TWH – A new video posted to YouTube on March 6, titled Declaration of Deeds outlines five basic tenets that reflect inclusivity, anti-discrimination, and encourage thoughtful actions and deeds.
It also calls on other members of the various Pagan and Pagan-adjacent communities to sign the declaration and also lists everyone who has signed on to date. The video was posted to the Wind in the Worldtree channel on YouTube.
In other news:
- Circle Sanctuary Reverend Selena Fox and Reverend Laura González will be hosting a special broadcast tonight on Lunatic Mondays to celebrate International Women’s Day. It is also the 2nd anniversary of Circle Sanctuary’s internet radio network, CSNP. The broadcast airs tonight, March 8 at 7 PM (CST).
- The Conversation has highlighted the history of women and brewing, and how until the beginning of the Inquisition in the 1500s, women were the major producers of beer throughout Europe. The article also points out how much of iconography we associate with “witches”–cauldrons, pointy hats, and felines were most likely the hallmarks of the brewer. Male brewers used the fervor of the Inquisition to remove their main competitors, women brewers, by accusing them of being “witches.” While we have moved past that period in history, men still dominate the brewing industry. According to the Brewers Association in a diversity report released in 2019, it noted that craft breweries reported female brewmasters making up only 7.5% of the total number of brewers.
- In September of 2019, we reported on the vandalization of America’s Stonehenge in New Hampshire. Sixteen months later, police arrested Mark Russo, 50, of Kings Highway in Swedesboro, New Jersey. It’s unclear exactly why it took police nearly a year and a half to finally make an arrest in the case. A detective working the case uncovered a Twitter account with the same handle as had been carved into the stone table and defacing it. The same account, later confirmed by the FBI to belong to Russo also tweeted about “making improvements to America’s Stonehenge” and named one of the owners by name accompanied by the middle finger emoji. An arrest warrant was issued for Russo on September 21, 2020, and he was eventually picked up on March 1. He was charged with one count of felony criminal mischief and is scheduled to be back in court on April 21.
Positively Noteworthy
In honor of International Women’s Day, this 2-minute video captured the attention of the TWH news editor and its symbolization of the Divine Feminine aspect of the spirit of the planet we call home.
Don’t forget to honor Mother Nature this International Women’s Day.
She’s fierce. She’s beautiful. And she’s got a powerful message for you. So, listen up, #NatureIsSpeaking. #IWD2021 pic.twitter.com/R923o4yreW
— Conservation Intl (@ConservationOrg) March 8, 2021
Tarot of the week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Tarot of the Secret Forest, artwork by Lucia Mattioli, instructions by Riccardo Minetti, published by Lo Scarabeo
Card: Major arcana, V (Five) The Hierophant
The navigation of this week may require drawing on wisdom that can help balance and stabilize an emotional perspective. Take time to fully process experiences before taking action, and seek advice from trusted sources if the path forward is unclear.
*Note: The backs of the cards of this deck are a monochromatic version of the same image as on the front. The second card was chosen at random to illustrate the design of the deck.
Decks generously provided by Asheville Raven & Crone.
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