Today, March 8, 2012, is "Woman's Day" here in UB, Mongolia! It's kind of like our "Mother's Day" back in the States and is the first holiday I've experienced here. The schools were closed as were many stores and banks. Like in the States, I saw a lot of men buying roses and cakes at the last minute!
The women here are awesome. For centuries they've managed to keep their gers and families warm and well supplied - not a small task in a country that can easily get to -50 F each winter. This picture is of a few women collecting snow for water.
Aside from taking care of her own family, helping to take care of their animals (many families will have as many as 900 heads) is also a big job.
Most of the students in UB Universities are women. However, the pressure to have a baby (and then get married) is HUGE! In Mongolian culture, women are expected to get pregnant and that will hopefully lead to a family. Unfortunatly, many will become pregnant, give up their education but still may never marry.
However, aside from our surroundings and a few cultural differences, we women seem to have the same desires and face many of the same stresses from society's expectations.
Here's to those women all over the world who don't allow the pressures of society to hold them back from being all they were created to be - HAPPY WOMAN'S DAY!!!
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