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CARE Launches I Am Powerful Campaign on International Women's Day Awareness campaign connects women in the United States to women in impoverished countries Atlanta (March 1, 2006) — "When a woman gains power, she, her husband, her children and her extended family benefit for a lifetime," says Dr. Helene Gayle, incoming president of CARE, a leading humanitarian organization.

"Women are an untapped natural resource in fighting global poverty." That's why CARE is launching a national effort to engage women here in the lives of impoverished women around the world.The I Am Powerful campaign — kicking off officially on March 8, International Women's Day — offers women in the United States an opportunity to stand in solidarity with women in poor countries who struggle to survive on less than a dollar a day.

"I Am Powerful represents the spirit of International Women's Day by bringing attention to the hidden face and inherent power of women in the fight against global poverty," adds Anne Lynam Goddard, CARE's chief of staff, who has 25 years of experience working in developing countries. "CARE focuses on women not only because they make up 75 percent of the poorest people in the world, but also because we know that working with women results in the greatest impact.

If given the opportunity, women have the power to change their world. We have the power to help them do it."Today, women represent two-thirds of the world's 876 million illiterate adults, and although women make up half the world's population and produce half the world's food, they own just 1 percent of its farmland.As it stands, Goddard says, "A woman in a poor country living on less than a dollar a day wakes up every morning and wonders how she'll feed her children. One in three of her children will likely die from a preventable disease like diarrhea. She might be able to write only her name because she was denied a basic education. Women in impoverished countries cling to hope every day for the opportunity to participate in society and provide a better future for their children."

CARE's six decades of experience and extensive research show that the longer a girl stays in school, the higher the income of her family when she becomes an adult. She also will have fewer and healthier children. In short, empowering women can be a crucial first step toward lasting change in the world's poorest countries. This change would mirror the actions of women in the United States a century ago when they stood up for the right to participate in society, to vote, and to own and inherit property. CARE's community-based programs in 70 countries place a special focus on working with women because they are disproportionately affected by poverty and are crucial to fighting it. "Women are the center of their families, families are the center of communities, and communities are the center of the world," says Goddard. "We can and must step up to support women's efforts to become empowered and to make a difference in the world."

To increase awareness of the issues affecting poor women, CARE's I Am Powerful campaign features a speaker series in partnership with Borders bookstores; influential women ambassadors including Meg Ryan, Christy Turlington Burns, Mayor Shirley Franklin, Anne Hathaway and Sheila Johnson; airport dioramas; and print, radio and television public service announcements — the latter directed by one of Hollywood's top cinematographers, Ed Lachman.

The journey toward true love begins within...

How to Measure a Man’s Love

Interpreting the love of a man is difficult, it is painfully complex, but the reward of gaining slight understanding is priceless. Unfortunately, concerning this topic, there is more gray than black and white. Ideally, men would either be super-sensitive, over-compensating, smothering love-sick puppy dogs filled passive-aggressive tendencies or controlling, insensitive, unable to verbalize emotion and unwilling to accept a woman in her present form; liberated. The fact is, most men exist within both spheres of influence, being fleetingly emotional/romantic yet, stern and protecting. The key is “knowing” or learning how he loves, without comparing it to how a woman wants to be loved; contrasting comes later.

Based on numerous experiences, there are merely three steps to measuring a man’s love and they are as follows:

First, determining his perception of love, its worth and direct importance in his life. Example: If the man you love perceives acts of romance, minus the sex, as showing a sign of weakness instead of an offering of kindliness, more than likely, he may be slightly distant during your “relations” and interactions. He may associate providing as the “best” and most worthy way to show a woman love, which means he’ll take care of issues like washing your car, cooking the meals, washing your hair, painting your nails or even helping you with workouts. Ask him to describe, in detail, his worst break up, how it impacted him emotionally and the significance of its ripple effect; this will provide insight concerning the importance of love, as he sees it.

Second, determine his length of love, meaning, does he love in short spurts or in one impassioned climax. Example: He may see picking up your dry cleaning, purchasing a new pair of heels or arranging a professional massage as “small” acts of love or he may express himself by planning the annual 14 day vacation for two, which in his mind, precludes him from having to show “small” acts. If you know the difference, it should be easier to appreciate his display and to associate it with him attempting to give what he understands to be an act of love.

Third, determine his capacity to love, depth versus shallow; explore the reasons why and focus on finding how to unlock it. Example: Role-play!!! Plan a Psyche on the couch evening, where, should you chose to, reward him for being frank. Turn the situation into a game; allow for a win-win for each of you. Ask him questions like, “how do you see the difference between being in love and loving?” Start simple, progressively increase the degree of difficulty. “how do you create love, nurture it and grow it toward a healthy and positive point of fruition?”

If you can garner an understanding of his interpretation of love, then you’ll be empowered to better measure his love.

The journey toward true love begins within...