There is so much talk about gender issues, women`s rights, feminism etc...why are these things so important? Because women want to be heard, we want to be valued and respected for who we are...do we need to become more like men to be heard and respected? Some may think so but I don`t...I think what makes women so important is that we are different from men.

Women make a difference in this world as women. We are strong, compassionate, caring, smart, and influential among many other things. We raise children we care for our friends and the men in our lives. We do many things without asking and we struggle through our trials just fine.

It is important to be heard...but as for me I want to be heard as a woman and appreciated for the woman that I am!

Examples of wonderful and unique women are quite common. One group that I read about and did a paper on, that really struck me was actually something I first saw in Glamour Magazine...an unlikely spot...In 2007 a small grassroots group of women in Uganda called "Empowering Hands" won Glamour Magazine's Women of the Year award. These women have been through so much, yet they have come together and have worked to help one another to overcome their trama and get back on their feet. The group caught my attention because they have acheived so much in the face of such great adversity. These women have not given up!

Rebel soldiers led by Joseph Kony have ravaged Northern Uganda for over two decades, killing and maming countless people. The army kidnaps tens of thousands of children, many of them girls and forces them to become soldiers. Many of these girls are brainwashed into killing and are forced to become "wives" of soldiers. Their lives become like Hell on earth. Many of these children are forced to kill their own families and committ horrendous atrocities to innocent people.

What happens when girls are abducted, brainwashed, forced to kill, and forced to become the wives of murderers when they try to go home? Often returning to their villages or to safety camps with children in tow, along with many horrible memories. They have been austricized from their communities because of the terrible things they have been seen doing and are not welcome back. They struggle to adjust to living outside the army and have a difficult time supporting their children.

This is where Empowering Hands reaches out. The group was started by an American researcher named Jessica Lenz and four former female child soldiers. The group provides support and counsel for women who escape or are released from the militia. They provide assistance in the transition back into their families and communities providing opportunites for microloans, education and training, and learning skills they need to function in the community, skills they may have been deprived of during their time as captives. The group trains former soldiers who have successfully reintegrated into their communities to counsel other newer members. It is helpful for these girls to share their experiences and work through their anger, grief and other emotions.

"Empowering Hands" also works to educate the communities about what happens to children when they are abducted so that they can help deal with the fear and animosity community members may have toward former child soldiers. They do this through meetings as well as through dance.

These kinds of programs are part of what makes women so wonderful...when we come together we are able to support one another to make things happen!

Below are some links to find out more info...