“Women are the primary caretakers for most of the world's children and elderly. Yet much of the work we do is not valued — not by economists, not by historians, not by popular culture, not by government leaders.

At this very moment, women around the world are giving birth, raising children, cooking meals, washing clothes, cleaning houses, planting crops, working on assembly lines, running companies, and running countries.

Women also are dying from diseases that should have been prevented or treated; they are watching their children succumb to malnutrition caused by poverty and economic deprivation; they are being denied the right to go to school by their own fathers and brothers; they are being forced into prostitution; and they are being barred from the ballot box and the bank lending office.

I want to speak up for mothers who are fighting for good schools, safe neighborhoods, clean air and clean airwaves... for older women, some of them widows, who have raised their families and now find that their skills and life experiences are not valued in the workplace... for women who are working all night as nurses, hotel clerks, and fast food chefs so that they can be at home during the day with their kids... and for women everywhere who simply don't have time to do everything they are called upon to do each day.”

While I recognize there are many issues we need to resolve, there are thousands of positive areas in which women make a difference.  For example, each year I witness the amazing talent, kindness, and generosity our teachers and educational leaders make both inside and outside the classroom to improve the quality of our students’ lives.  Teachers represent the cornerstone of our success and the majority of them are women.  These individuals step forward to ensure that every child who enters their classroom has an opportunity to achieve academic success.