Women's Day will stress importance of education

Editor,

On March 8, the world is recognizing the importance of females throughout the past, present and future on International Women's Day. Oftentimes, the roles of women in society are undermined through stereotypical assumptions made by those with many psychological and sociological problems. In response to consistently being overlooked, women and men around the globe decide to focus on how women have helped shape the modern world while taking responsibilities to provide for their families, communities, nations and planet.

One area of increasing importance is the education of women in order to help promote sustainable population growth. This education includes, but is not limited to, methods of contraception and available social programs for aid. It has also been found that when women receive higher education, they have less children later in their lives in order to focus on becoming prosperous citizens. This not only reduces the strain of resources on the planet but also promotes the advancement of the whole human race.

It is time that the stigmas placed on womanhood are removed so everyone may benefit from their ingenuity and efforts. For this day of recognition, please contact your local representatives to remind them of the importance of women. Request the repeal of the Global Gag Rule, which stipulates that U.S. foreign aid will not go to any organization that performs abortions or even mentions them as a family-planning option. Also, request the renewed funding of the U.N. Population Fund - the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programs - and the passing of the REAL Act, which promotes comprehensive sex education. For more information on these subjects, please visit PopulationConnection.org.

If you are on campus today, feel free to drop by the Population Connection table in front of Zimmerman Library for more information and to learn about what can be done. At 7 p.m., there will be a showing of the film "A World in the Balance" in the Amigo Room on the third floor of the SUB, which will discuss the delicate and prominent issue of population growth and its relation to women. There will be a discussion afterward and free popcorn and soda during the movie.

Remember that all of us owe something to women for bringing us into this world, so please help repay them by ensuring they get the opportunities they need to ensure the future of their livelihoods and the rest of the planet's.

Jedrek Lamb

UNM alumnus and Population Connection field organizer