December 16, 2009 - Do you know an exceptional foreign-born woman who has made notable contributions to Kern County? Share her inspirational story and nominate her for recognition as part of International Women's Day. Nominations will be accepted through Sunday, Jan. 31 and details can be found online at www.iwdkern.org. Winners will be honored at the 2010 International Women's Day awards dinner on Monday, March 8 at the Petroleum Club.

"International women have made significant contributions to our community," said Eun-Ja Park, California State University, Bakersfield special education professor and event chair."This is our opportunity to recognize and thank them for their efforts. We will also be honoring outstanding international female students from CSUB and Bakersfield College with scholarships."

The ideal nominee is someone who has made important contributions within her own profession, but is also service-oriented and has stepped forward to contribute to the community at large. Foreign-born women will be honored in the categories of arts/entertainment, business/finance, community service, education, health services, law/government, and sciences.

International Women's Day was established in 1909 to advocate universal suffrage and other rights. Kern County began celebrating the day in 2002, thanks to a collaborative effort by the League of Women Voters and American Association of University Women. The local celebration reflects on the global and community dimensions of the event by honoring the contributions of local women who are foreign-born.

Event planners for 2010 represent various Kern County ethnic groups and organizations including the African-American Network, CSUB, Kern Community College District, Kern County Superintendents of Schools, Korean-American Association of Bakersfield, Latina Leaders of Kern, Muslim Woman's Association of Bakersfield, National Council of Negro Women, and Southeast Asian Community.