Celebrate indigenous women on International Women's Day

7 things you can do on International Women's Day     Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women's Day (#IWD), first celebrated in 1909. In recent years, the annual event has gained recognition, giving a chance to celebrate achievements in the women's movement and to inspire further progress through both local and international action. While too many women all over the word still suffer from violence and rights abuses, it is important to recognize the amazing work Indigenous women are doing in making change happen in all realms of life and in claiming their rights and transforming violence into power and action.  On International Women's Day stand in solidarity with women. By acting now, we will have even more to celebrate on March 8, 2015.    1. Read our issue of the Cultural Survival Quarterly devoted to Indigenous women.   2. Celebrate some of the amazing Indigenous women working to make change happen around the world.   Share their inspiring stories #IWD2014.      Dayamani Barla from India    Mphatheleni Makaulule from South Africa              Sheelah McLean, Nina Wilson, Sylvia McAdam, and Jessica Gordon from Canada            Jessica Metcalfe from the United States   Mililani Trask from Hawai'i  3. Learn about Indigenous Women's Rights.   Watch and share this video by Asia Indigenous Peoples' Pact.     Indigenous Women's Rights 4. Watch Young Lakota, a film about women's reproductive rights.  "Young Lakota" Official Trailer    4. Learn about the epidemic of murdered and missing Indigenous women. Over 800 Aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered in Canada in the past 20 years, and their cases are rarely investigated by police. Read Amnesty International's report Stolen Sisters, a report on violence against Indigenous women in Canada.  Watch Survival, Strength, and Sisterhood: Power of Women in the Downtown Eastside, a documentary on the 20 year history of the annual memorial march for missing and murdered Indigenous women in Vancouver.  Survival, Strength, Sisterhood: Power of Women in the Downtown Eastside Learn about the Walking With Our Sisters exhibition, which honors the lives of these women through a display of hand-made moccasins, each representing a missing woman.  Support the Missing Sisters mapping project by learning about open cases in your area and adding any information you are aware of regarding missing Indigenous women.     5. Take Action. Make your voice heard.  Demand an official inquiry into Canada's missing and murdered Indigenous women. Sign an online petition here, contact your local representatives to voice your concerns, and join the online conversation using the hashtags #MMIW and #VAW      6. Visit the UN Women's Day website.  Find out how to get into the conversation via Twitter and other forms of social media. #IWD  #IWD2014  #WomensDay  #internationalwomen'sday      7. Spread the word. Tell your friends about IWD by sharing the One Woman Song, a collaborative global effort that serves as a statement on International Women's Day of working together to promote gender equality.        As always, we welcome your comments. Please send your feedback and suggestions to agnes@cs.org.   Cultural Survival is a global leader in the fight to protect Indigenous lands, languages, and cultures around the world. In partnership with Indigenous Peoples, we advocate for Indigenous communities whose rights, cultures, and dignity are under threat. For more information go to www.cs.org