Peace Corps Celebrates National Women’s History Month



Peace Corps Celebrates National Women’s History Month

Peace Corps Celebrates National Women’s History Month

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 11, 2003 -- This month, Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez will join Peace Corps staff and volunteers in celebrating Women’s History Month. The month of March will include a variety of events that not only shed light on the accomplishments of women involved in the Peace Corps, but also the contributions of women throughout the U.S. and the world.

Peace Corps recognizes the special needs of girls and women and in 1998 made Girls’ Education a primary focus for the Agency. Girls’ Education is the variable most highly correlated to improvement in a community’s general well-being. The benefits of educating girls include: increased economic productivity; improved family health; lower fertility rates; and more effective investments in the next generation. Therefore, the increased role that women have played and continue to play within the organization is great. This is exemplified by the fact that 61 percent of all Peace Corps volunteers are women.

Women’s History Month was founded as a weeklong observance in 1978 in California and has since transformed into a nationally celebrated occasion. Among the events included in the Peace Corps’ observation of Women’s History Month are speakers, brown bag lunches, and panel presentations. Today, Peace Corps staff attended a panel discussion titled “Leading the Journey for Justice, Civil Rights and Opportunities.” Women who have succeeded in a variety of professions spoke on their personal "journeys."

The month-long celebrations began on Monday, March 3rd, when returned Peace Corps volunteer Melissa Bartlett spoke on the “Journey for Justice, Civil Rights and Opportunities” of women around the world. On Friday, March 7, a lunch was hosted to highlight the work of Peace Corps volunteers in women’s empowerment, and a panel discussion took place on female leadership in professional and international fields. Viewing of the film There's No Such Thing as Women's Work, which highlights women’s contributions to America, and a Women’s Wellness Fair will occur in the coming weeks.

Since 1961, more than 168,000 Volunteers have served in the Peace Corps working in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS education and awareness, information technology, business development, the environment, and agriculture. Peace Corps Volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a two-year commitment.

When this story was posted in October 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference. RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls. Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate. Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.

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Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before. Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security.

Schwarzenegger praises PC at Convention Governor Schwarzenegger praised the Peace Corps at the Republican National Convention: "We're the America that sends out Peace Corps volunteers to teach village children." Schwarzenegger has previously acknowledged his debt to his father-in-law, Peace Corps Founding Director Sargent Shriver, for teaching him "the joy of public service" and Arnold is encouraging volunteerism by creating California Service Corps and tapping his wife, Maria Shriver, to lead it. Leave your comments and who can come up with the best Current Events Funny?

Peace Corps: One of the Best Faces of America Teresa Heinz Kerry celebrates the Peace Corps Volunteer as one of the best faces America has ever projected in a speech to the Democratic Convention. The National Review disagreed and said that Heinz's celebration of the PCV was "truly offensive." What's your opinion and can you come up with a Political Funny?

Read the stories and leave your comments.