March 8th is International Women’s Day. A day designated to celebrating women and their many accomplishments as well as learning and understanding their struggles in societies across the world. To many women this is a very special day, it’s a day to be proud of womanhood, to embrace our gender as strong, independent and fearless. It’s a day to resist oppression and love ourselves. But many other women don’t even know this day exists. This day isn’t taught in schools, there are no big signs, no women’s day themed children’s episodes, no assemblies or workshops done. There must be a reason we ignore International Women’s Day. And it seems to be that reason is “we just don’t need it”.The main excuse I get is “Women are equal to men now, they don’t need a special day”. But this day is about celebrating and appreciating women, because as a group we have been oppressed, beaten and abused for thousands of years. Western societies lacked any sort of gender equality for centuries and it wasn’t until the 20th century that women finally got the autonomy they rightly deserved. So from a Western perspective this day is about celebrating those women that boldly fought for our freedom in the Suffrage, Women’s Liberation, and Riot Grrrl movements. As well as understanding that we have a lot more work to do before we as women can say we are truly free, first class citizens. The international bit of International Women’s Day should be a reminder that the whole world is not like North America. That our perceived equality is not compatible with other societies. The gendercides happening in India and China, the moral police in Iran and the prisons in Afghanistan where women are detained for having pre-marital sex are all examples of how much work needs to be done on this planet before we can truly call ourselves equal. 
But this day is also about love and learning. It’s about sitting down and listening to women and girls talk about being women and girls. It’s about appreciating our struggles, either throughout history or personally. It’s about respecting us as a unique individuals, respecting us as your mother, your sister, your wife, your best friend, your neighbour, your daughter, or just a stranger on the street. Knowing that we are people, people who have not always received love, support and especially respect. And people who deserve an entire day to celebrate ourselves.

This article was written by Hannah Collins, a co-operative education student at Jer`s Vision. She`s a fierce anarcha-feminist with a love for her two cats, Bridgehead coffee, and poetry.   

In Charles City County, Va. seventeen year old high school student was suspended from Charles City High School for refusing to take off a pair of high heels. Asante Cotman missed three days of classes because he wasn’t allowed to wear the shoes he wanted. His principal pulled him out of all his classes and forced him to wear a pair of slippers instead. But the slippers Asante was given had no backs to them and violated the dress code. Unlike the pair of heels he was wearing. Asante was told to remove his shoes because apparently they were “disrupting the school”. 
Was the school in chaos?
Were kids screaming and fleeing the area in a state of panic?
Were there violent riots sparked by Asante’s footwear?
No. Because a boy wearing heels is not disruptive. It appears Asante’s suspension was caused by Charles City High School’s principal who found a student daring to wear traditionally feminine clothing disturbing. Asante is also suspicious that the suspension is linked with his sexuality, he is the only openly gay student in his high school. Nobody deserves to be punished for being themselves and choosing to express it. In elementary school aren’t we taught to celebrate differences, to understand that we are all special and unique human beings and it’s okay to not be like everybody else. It seems these lessons came with strict guidelines I was not aware of. Apparently it’s okay to be different as long as you don’t challenge the rigid gender binary. You can be a special boy who wears blue or a special girl who wears pink. If you dare challenge this you are not a special and unique being, you are a freak who deserves to be punished. 

This article was written by Hannah Collins, a co-operative education student at Jer`s Vision. She`s a fierce anarcha-feminist with a love for her two cats, Bridgehead coffee, and poetry. 

Hello boys and girls!

I’m edmond, a French singer living in Barcelona, Spain. I decided to show my love and support to the day of pink by making a new version of my music video “All I Need” from my album “Love and Pop”. I asked all my friends to get involved once again in this new version to show their support against bullying, discrimination and homophobia by wearing a pink shirt and send the pictures to me so that I can work on a new editing of the video for this special day! I created for that an event on Facebook at this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/345789145442573/

The dead line to send the pictures is until the end of February so that I have enough time to edit it and send it to dayofpink.org Everybody is welcomed to take part in the show!

This is an international day so it has to be an international event too! We really need to show the entire world is getting concerned about this matter and ready to get involved in it by any mean!

I really want to show my support to this cause because I’m like you. I am gay too and I had to face adversity for what I am and I know how hard it can be to deal with it sometimes. That’s why I want to show you that there is a way! Even if there are people who’ll always be watching you down, never forget that you have to believe in you! Having faith in you will help you to go through the hardest time and I do hope from the bottom of my heart that the final result of the music video will show you what this is all about! It’s about love and show that there will always be friends around for you! Don’t give up the fight because you are the winners!

Chu ;)