International Women’s Day 2013: Rep. Lisa Heddens and Others Discuss the Advancement of Women's Rights

A panel of International women led by State Rep. Lisa Heddens will discuss the advancement of women's rights, how far women have come and where they should go in the future as a celebration of International Women's Day.

The panel discussion will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Somerset Club House at 2400 Aspen Road. The discussion will be followed by refreshments. It is sponsored by the Friends of International Women, Iowa Resource for International Service, Margaret Sloss Women's Center, YMCA of Ames-ISU and the Ames Public Library.

International Women's Day is now held March 8 to celebrate the achievements of women around the world, but began in the early 1900s as an international day to press for women's demands. In 1908, a group of women marched the streets of New York demanding better working conditions.  And the first national women's day was celebrated 1909 in the United States. It eventually became a day to celebrate feminine achievements, according to the International Women's Day website.

In Ames, the day is typically celebrated at the Ames Public Library, but had to be relocated due to the construction project.

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