BOCA is a huge supporter of women’s rights and this month we are honoring women warriors. The past couple of years have felt like a continuous test of humanity and our willpower to survive. However, even in the most dire of situations, women find a way. It is something we are born with; the will to live and succeed is innate in our souls. BOCA is paying tribute to all of the women warriors who continue to fight – fight for their families, for their neighbors, for their rights, for their freedoms and the freedoms of others.
As the world watches war rage on in Ukraine, women have become a focal point for many. Typically, March is a month of joy for Ukrainian women as the country celebrates International Women’s Day. However this year there are no flowers or sentimental cards. Ukrainian women are faced with the impossible choice of staying behind to defend their country or fleeing to protect their families. Many women who are staying to fight have zero military training nor have they ever even held a gun. Their strong sense of patriotism and love of country pushes them to fight. These women are warriors.
We’ve listened to Ukrainian mothers give interviews from bomb shelters while nursing their infants and watched footage of others trudging along snowy roads with suitcases and toddlers in towe. These women have left their entire lives behind, including their husbands, fathers and sons. Most have no idea where they are going or if they will ever be able to return, but they carry on because they are warriors.
At home and around the rest of the world, women continue to face down this beast of a pandemic. Women make up 76% of the healthcare industry. They are on the front lines caring for others in hospitals and clinics, and also behind the scenes developing vaccines and creating solutions. Scientist Katalin Kariko is one of these women, who according to many, should be credited with saving the world as she pioneered the MRNA vaccine. For the past two years, these women have worked tirelessly so that life can return to normal for the rest of us. Their contributions are extraordinary and without their brilliant minds, COVID would continue to soar. The entire world is grateful for these warriors.
Education is another field dominated by women who have carried the weight of our nation’s children on their shoulders as they navigate teaching during COVID. Many were tasked with the near-impossible job of educating students virtually while trying to keep them on track and emotionally sound. The health risks, the social emotional damage, the learning deficits, the community pressure – all of this has fallen on our teacher’s and yet they continue to show up each day for our kids. These are women warriors.
BOCA recognizes all women worldwide who continue to make positive change and work towards a brighter future for generations to come. This month we have chosen Planned Parenthood for our donation matching program, in honor of women warriors worldwide.