Watch three Rotary members share their inspirational stories and projects during a celebration of International Women’s Day on 7 March at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

Hosted by the World Bank Group Staff Association, and co-sponsored by Rotary International and Oppenheimer, the livestreamed event will highlight the changes that women make around the world through their humanitarian work. The event, open to the public, will also include discussions on the role of women in today’s society.

Here are the three featured Rotary speakers:

• Dr. Geetha Jayaram, a member of the Rotary Club of Howard West, Maryland, USA, and a recipient of the Rotary Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award, founded the Maanasi Clinic in Mugalur, Karnataka, India, which provides mental health services to poor women. She is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
• Marie-Irène Richmond-Ahoua, a member of the Rotary Club of Abidjan-Bietry, Côte d’Ivoire, served as Rotary’s national PolioPlus chair for Cote d’Ivorie and now helps coordinate immunization activities in West African countries. She is an international communications consultant and worked as an outreach adviser for the United Nations Operation in her country.
• Danielle De La Fuente, a member of the Rotary Club of Coronado Binacional, California, USA, is co-founder of The Amal Alliance. The nonprofit group helps empower refugee children around the world through social development and educational programs. She worked at the National Defense University, where she fostered relations across the Middle East and South Asia.

Follow the event on Twitter using #WomenInspire

#March in Rotary is #Water and #Sanitation Month.

More than 2.5 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. At least 3,000 children die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by unsafe water. Our projects give communities the ability to develop and maintain sustainable water and sanitation systems and support studies related to water and sanitation.

Clean water is a basic need for human beings. When people, especially children, have access to clean water, they live healthier and more productive lives. However, at least 3,000 children die each day from diseases caused by unsafe water, which is what motivates our members to build wells, install rainwater harvesting systems, and teach community members how to maintain new infrastructure.

While very few people die of thirst, millions die from preventable waterborne diseases, providing the impetus for our members to also improve sanitation facilities in undeveloped countries. Members start by providing toilets and latrines that flush into a sewer or safe enclosure and then add education programs to promote hand-washing and other good hygiene habits.

#ImportantDates

12-18 March — World Rotaract Week

31 March — Preregistration discount ends for Rotary International Convention