With the global theme #PressForProgress for this year’s International Women’s Day, The League of Women Voters of the Roanoke Valley and the Roanoke County Public Library provided a diverse and inspiring program at the Vinton Library on March 8 to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The distinguished panelists were Bernadette “BJ” Brown MBA, Barbara Duerk, Erika Joyner and Carmen Khokar. Freeda Cathcart facilitated the event.
Girl Scout Troop #94 (Thrasher United Methodist Church) with Leader Stephanie Hawkins opened the celebration with a flag ceremony then led the audience through the Pledge of Allegiance, the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout Law.
Barbara Duerk spoke about the opportunities the Girl Scouts provide to encourage leadership skills and how Girl Scouts contribute to our community. She led the audience in a participatory song with the refrain “Yes She Can!”
Carmen Khokhar spoke about her experiences as a bus driver for Valley Metro who is motivated by the people she meets on the bus to find creative ways to help the community. She worked hard to provide transportation and a home for her sister’s family, who had to leave Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria destroyed the island.
Bernadette “BJ” Brown encouraged people to listen to each other in order to make progress possible and used her rich and powerful singing voice to inspire the audience. She teaches children in the community and schools how to use their artistic talents to tell their stories.
Erika Joyner spoke about her journey as a girl with boy’s plumbing and explained how she had struggled with gender dysphoria. It wasn’t until later in life she discovered she wasn’t alone and is now able to live her life fully as a transgender woman. She also shared a poem she wrote about her experiences.
Roanoke Chapter NAACP President Brenda Hale asked if the Girl Scouts have the same recognition opportunities as the Boy Scouts as she had heard the Boy Scouts were accepting girls to give them more opportunities. Barbara Duerk showed the group her Girl Scout Gold Award and explained that the Girl Scouts do have equal opportunities for community recognition and contributions.
Freeda Cathcart explained the importance of spreading the word about excellent programs as within the Girl Scouts to correct misinformation that programs that support women are not undermined. She also spoke about the recent misinformation about the Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia’s General Assembly. There was strong support for the ERA bills that were obstructed in committees by not being allowed to proceed to the floor. Had they proceeded, there were enough votes for the Equal Rights Amendment to pass!
International Women’s Day chose #PressForProgress as this year’s theme because the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report concluded that gender parity is over 200 years away. There has never been a more important time to keep motivated and #PressforProgress. And with global activism for women’s equality fueled by movements like #MeToo, #TimesUp and more – there is a strong global momentum striving for gender parity.
