Singing is by no means a strong point. But I have thought a lot about women s voices, whether they are raised in song, whether they are a whisper, whether they are a cry of anguish, or a laugh. I ve heard women s voices all over our globe. And I recently ran across a poem by a woman poet from Suriname, Johanna Schouten Elsenhout. I think her words remind us of why we are here today.
Nothing rises so high as a voice that calls out in the middle of the day.
A voice so fine, a voice so strong. It s never false. Even when the wind blows hard. Woman, you rise so high you inspire, You abide in the midst of the battle of everyday. Think for a moment of the countless women all over the world in every country represented here, who are locked in the battle of the everyday.