Sisters ending hunger, poverty

The idea of a women’s day was initially to promote equal rights, including suffrage, for women – and women’s day was observed in many places before women actually had the right to vote.
Sometimes we forget how recent an achievment this is. Ironically the remote Pitcairn Islands, famous as a settling place for the Bounty mutineers was one of the first places where women were included in the voting process with female descendants of the mutineers being able to vote from 1838.
In most of the rest of the world it was only in the 20th century after decades of battle that women demanded and received the right to fully participate in governance procedures. I was amazed to learn that women achieved suffrage in France only in 1944 and for Saudi Arabia expected only in 2015!
Closer to home, and possible only in the mad apartheid system – white women could vote from 1930, coloureds from 1968, Indians in 1984 and finally, with        the advent of a democratic South Africa in 1994, everyone – including black women.
It’s 101 years since International women’s Day was marked for the first time. The focus of the celebrations changes from country to country ranging from a      general celebration of resp-ect, appreciation and love tow-ards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political and social achievements. It’s not a public holiday in Zimbabwe but it is a day to honour women and women’s achievements. Go sisters!
The theme for Intern-ational Women’s Day in 2012 is ‘Empower women – end hunger and poverty’. Our conversation – among a diverse group of women, focused on how to create spaces that nourish instead of reject, that welcome instead of exclude, that invite curiosity not judgement. 
We talked about how      we wished to enjoy relationships with men as true partners, where we both take responsibility for family, children and finances; where we appreciate what we have in common rather than exaggerating difficulties and where we embrace difference.
We grieved about men, our friends when boys, who grew up into wife beaters   and family dictators, claiming culture as a tool of oppression. And we noted how many modern women have chosen not to marry rather than submit to a man as ‘ruler’ over home and family. And wondered how to embrace tradition while still claiming our own power.
It was a rich and generative conversation and we treated ourselves to a rich cake to go with it. Enjoy and appreciate the women in your life today!
Grate 4 big carrots and soak with the juice and zest of an orange.
Beat 150g of softened butter, 1 cup of sticky brown   sugar and 3 Tablespoons of honey together until soft and fluffy.
Add 4 egg yolks one at a time – beating well after each addition.
Squeeze orange juice out of the carrots and add – and then all the dry ingredients (1 ½ cups flour, 2 tp baking powder, 1 tp cinnamon, 100 g pecans – coarsely ground – you can use a coffee grinder or food processor – or a pounder if there is no electricity)
Beat the 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and fold into the mixture.
Scrape into a prepared baking tin and bake for about an hour at 180 degrees C.
When cool, ice with a frosting made of icing sugar and lemon juice and sprinkle with lemon zest.  Sweet and nourishing with an edgy tang!
– g.jeke@yahoo.com