DAY OF THE WOMAN! INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2012

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International Women's Day, an opportunity to recognize the impact that women and girls make around the world. Raising families, running businesses, working the land, leading their communities and countries — women are creating a better future for us all.

The UN's theme for this Women's Day, "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures," aptly describes Mercy Corps' commitment to empowering future generations in the world's toughest places — the kind of places where a woman's education is often ignored. In a remote corner of Ethiopia, Mercy Corps' scholarships give hundreds of girls an opportunity most of their peers lack: the chance to complete high school.

The scholarships Mercy Corps finances in Ethiopia are just one example of how Mercy Corps helps women and girls access a lifetime of learning. We're also keeping girls in Colombia out of harm's reach with afterschool programs, teaching women to read on India's remote tea estates, and helping Iraqi women both young and old jumpstart their education.

http://www.mercycorps.org/photoessay/anedu...