Women Hold Up Half the Sky: A Poetry Jam · Global Voices
David Sasaki

In celebration of International Women's Day, Rising Voices grantee and Nari Jibon founder, Kathryn Ward, came up with the idea of a friendly poetry competition among Rising Voices bloggers. Participants of the ten citizen media outreach projects were given a week to write and submit their poems related to the theme “women hold up half the sky.”
Ten poems were submitted from Colombia, Bangladesh, and Madagascar. Of those ten, the following three featured poems were selected by Dr. Ward and her poet friend to be featured in commemoration of women around the world.
“Paceñita / Cristina Quisbert
Priority
by Sufia-734 of Nari Jibon
(Originally written in Bangla – Translated by Kazi Rafiqul Islam)
Time has come now
To stand for that we need
Not equality, but priority.
Upright
We want to open our heart
Express our mind
For that we need
Not equality, but priority.
Fathers can be cruel even
Mothers cannot.
Mothers can sacrifice
Fathers cannot.
That is what women are
We can do everything.
Combating with sorrow
Win happiness.
No more shall we endure injustice
No more shall we remain within the four walls.
Time has come to open ears and eyes
To protest against unfair deeds.
For that we need
Not equality, but priority.
Women road repair crew, Kathryn Ward, Dhaka, 2004.
by Poupoune of FOKO from Toamasina, Madagascar.
NY VEHIVAVY  Vatolampy fehozoro ny nehivavy, ka zava poana raha tsy misy azy
Eny fa ny fo fanfahy dia atolony avokoa,ary miaraka @ dia ho tody ny soa
Herin'ny tokan-trano anie izy hatramin'izay, koa dera sy laza no atolotray Indro anefa ireo zava bitany, hojoro ho mandrakizay, ka tsy ho toy ny rozy malazo ho dinganinay Vola sy harena tsy misy raha jerena, fa raha lavitra anao dia ssento sisa atao Anaovana hery setra sy verin-jo tanteraka, anefa dia mitalaho any @ Voninkazo midoroboka mamirapiratra tahaka riva,   Koa masoandro mamiratra tokoa anie isika, Izay mitondra fahasambarana sy fifaliana,  Hoan'ireo rehetra maminitsika
THE WOMAN BEING
Poem by: Camila Urrea Morales (Colombia)
Translated by: Carolina Vélez López of HiperBarrio.
EL SER MUJER
En un principio, aún incierto, apareció la mujer, un ser creado fibra a fibra de azúcar, adornado con tanto hilos dorados como sentimientos, un ser que se derrite con cada palabra que infunde fuego en ella, y que se enfría, levantando la pared más fuerte, con aquellas que llegan como témpano ante ella. Luego, aparece aquella cubierta que es más que piel, una cubierta conductora de emociones, de latidos, de vibraciones. Y apareció la mujer, y con ella la dulzura de las cosas hechas con la delicadeza que nada más se encuentra en ese ser.
Finally, in a class all its own, a coordinator of the FOKO project in Madagascar, who prefers to go by the pseudonym SipakV, submitted this poem in Malagasy and English.
“Lehilahy iza no ho tamana amin'izao”
-Tsia ange fa izy no te handeha -Ka tsy handeha ve izy Vehivavy nilaozambady ianao Manala baraka anay Manala baraka fianakaviana Jereo ity volonao Jereo ity tarehy Jereo ity sakafo  Jereo ity trano mikorontana Lehilahy iza no ho tamana amin'izao -Koa mba efa niezaka ao re Ny volo notapahina, natao plaquage Ny tarehy nohosorana diloilo manitra Ny sakafo niezahana hatsiro isan'andro Ny trano ampirimina Kanefa ange Ikoto sy Ikala Mitaky fitiavana sy fikarakarana Ny sakafo adino eo ambony fatana Ny trano voakorontana Angaha misy hitany akory Izy anie ka mody alina Mamom-behivavy hafa sy toaka Domelin'ny hatezerana Fa ratsy hono ny fiainanay Ratsy taiza hono ny ankizy Ratsy tarehy hono ny vadiny Vehivavy hafa hono no tadiaviny Koa dia ny fahareseny no vonoiny Vonoiny amin'ny tavako sy ny vatako Vonoiny isan-kariva fa tsy mety voafafany Tamin'ny farany teo efa tonga ny fokonolona Dia nohafatrafarana aho hoe Vehivavy ka mihareta Mihareta hatramin'ny farany Fiharetana eto an-tany Hatramin'ny nikororosian'ny lanitra eo ambony Tonga teo ingahy mompera nilaza hoe Tsarovy Victoire Rasoamanarivo Fa tsy fahasambarana any ankoatra anie no tadiaviko Fa mba kosa filaminana ho an'Ikoto sy Ikala Tonga ianao androany ry Neny ka hoe Efa izy no anjara Fa vono olona ve no fetra Ary fanagejana no lahatra satria ho aiza moa Fa izaho dia vehivavy tsy miasa? Ka dia aleo re ry mama… - Jereo ity volonao Jereo ity tarehy Jereo ity sakafo  Jereo ity trano mikorontana Lehilahy iza no ho tamana amin'izao…