Posts tagged women's rights

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.