Some implemented activities focused on sharing project results and lessons (for example, see here) others looked inward-for example, the EngenderHealth teams in Ethiopia and Tanzania held online staff events to honor women leaders, celebrate their accomplishments, and recognize their contributions to EngenderHealth’s success. Our teams at EngenderHealth rose to the challenge. The shift forced everyone to think creatively about what International Women’s Day can be. Interactive games and informational booths were nowhere to be seen. This year, while the spirit was the same and the excitement was there, the activities themselves were different, with many activities moving online. There were few large events. The day usually involves thousands of in-person gatherings in offices and communities around the world, all abuzz with the excitement of the moment and bearing the hallmarks of a campaign or a rally-signs, speeches, songs, and slogans. One way to create a better “new normal” is to bring the lessons learned over the last year into our day-to-day lives. I saw that concept in action with International Women’s Day last week. Celebrated every year on March 8, International Women’s Day is an important moment for the global community of people and organizations working on women’s rights, women’s health, and gender equality, to rally together, to generate excitement, to show solidarity, and to get new people engaged in supporting the work. What we should do, instead, is to build back better, build back fairer, build back stronger. That’s what we’re trying to do at EngenderHealth. Even amidst this great sense of loss, many have found new joys, taken up new hobbies, and forged new ways of connecting across distances. As vaccination levels rise and infection and death rates decline, it will be tempting to simply return to the way we did things in the past. Over the weekend, I reflected on both International Women’s Day, which we celebrated a week ago today, and on the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. Much has been written about the losses people have experienced around the world as the pandemic has forced us to stay home, to avoid physical contact with neighbors, colleagues, friends, and family members.
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