Thoughts on International Women's Day

Today, as every year on March 8, we mark International Women's Day. And so I've been thinking about where we women stand these days.

While we have seen many great advances in women's rights over the past century both here in America and in other parts of the world, we still have a lot of work to do to protect the rights we've won and to further chip away at all glass ceilings everywhere.

In fact, in recent weeks, it appears that we've got to work harder than we would have expected right here in the "land of freedom". While most American women take birth control for granted, the GOP has lately tried to take that away from us in an extension of their anti-choice agenda. They want to do away not only with abortion but with contraception as well. They do this despite the statistical fact that 99% of American women - including 98% of Catholic women - have used birth control.

They don't trust us women to control how our bodies are used. They want to be the ones in charge of that.

If they are allowed to win this battle, it will set an example for conservative factions in other parts of the world.

And if they are allowed to win this battle, where will they set their sights next?

As untenable as their agenda might seem at this point, we must take it seriously.

As long as we still have the right to vote, we can have a say in this along with our male supporters.

Vote blue in November.