International Women's Day: Chefs Unite?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT While professional firms lined up to celebrate today's 98th annual International Women's Day , especially offering jobs, chef-related groups were surprisingly silent. No events or news are coming from some organizations one might have expected to help celebrate the day, including Women Chefs & Restaurateurs ( WCR ), American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF ), Slow Food International, or Cmmunity Alliance with Family Farmers(CAFF). One could always send an e-card from Terra Madre , which are always lovely -- but none special for International Women's Day. As a result, Food does not play a major role in today's international celebration -- unless you want a job with McDonald's or Pepsico. Others are celebrating -- in some unexpected places. Canada's governor general visited Afghanistan today to help celebrate. IRNA, the Iranian national news agency, noted remarks by the new UN secretary general, who called this a day that "compels all people to strengthen every means of empowering women and girls." UNHCR's chief from Geneva reaffirmed commitment to the empowerment of women. Even British prime minister Tony Blair breakfasted with 40 women from across the UK at Number 10 Downing Street, led by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly, to focus on issues important to British women. There are some amazingly cool events occurring in the US today: * The international group Women of the Mountains are holding their first-ever conference in Utah, "to strengthen the involvement of North American mountain communities in the activities of the Mountain Partnership (MP) in support of sustainable mountain development worldwide as per the United Nation’s First Global Mountain Summit (2002) in Bishkek." * International Visitors Center of Chicago is holding its 6th Annual International Women's Day with a keynote address by Dr. Mardge Cohen, Director of Women's HIV Research CORE Center. * Olympic Cellars Winery (at last, a Food event!) of Port Angeles, WA, is holding a a wine gathering with readings, music, food and drink, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. this evening. Question: whatever happened to "Girl Power"? (Feel free to leave your comments!) Previous articles: Mary Sue Milliken on Anne-Sophie Pic Women Chef Bosses Melissa Perello: Boss Before 30 Gordon Ramsay: Women Can't Cook James Beard Awards: Dearth of Top Women Chefs? Cat Cora: Iron Chef America's First Lady [White House Woman Chef (Cristeta Comerford) - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, International Women's Day --> back to Super Chef