Now I know that there still may be some who are disappointed that Ginger, of the Spice Girls, was not able to be here. And I confess I am no substitute, 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 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, Joanna 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.