In 24 hours...

we'll be setting up for the Women in Decision Making Expo! And, in 24.5 hours, we hope you'll be registering at the FREE event. Then, in 26.5 hours we hope you'll be enjoying FREE FOOD. Click on that awesome purple link on the right to RSVP!

But enough with the free stuff, the real point of International Women's Day is to think on and improve the lives of women all over the world. Tomorrow we'll be engaging on and discussing some actions we can do to change our community for the better by taking a look at what some amazing women in the Chicagoland area are doing. If you haven't already read up on our panelists, check out the brief bios in the right-hand toolbar and if you have questions for any or all of the panelists, submit an email to the address listed in the post below!

Lastly, Sarah Small of Food Tank wrote an awesome article: 23 Women Changing Food. You should check it out or at least check out some of the facts and highlights below (you'll have to read the article for the fact references).

• Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, but only earn 10 percent of the world's income
• 70 percent of all farmers are women
• Providing women farmers with access to the same resources that men have could reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 100-150 million people
• Shout out to Sarah Kalloch, Senior Advisor at Oxfam America for making the list!

Two women clearing farmland in Nachole, Northern Bangladesh. Photo credit: IPS News.

Optimism

This year's IWD theme is Inspiring Change. Perhaps you're a person with boatloads of optimism which keeps you motivated for the future or perhaps you're a person who needs a kick in the shins to get motivated. We cannot kick you because that would be wrong and painful, but here's an awesome Forbe's article about the progress women have made in the 106 years of International Women's Days.

Questions? We know women with answers.

International Women's Day is only 4 days away! We're excited. There will be loads of awesome information, earfuls of engaging discussion, and even free food in case you need any more enticing. To prepare for our panelist discussion we're looking for questions from YOU! If you have a question, please send an email to: chimedia.oxfam@gmail.com with you question(s) and intended recipient(s) from the panelist list at right. All question askers will remain anonymous unless otherwise specified by said asker. We're not sure if asker is really a word either.

And don't forget to RSVP and get your google maps directions from the purple link on the right!