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No, International Women's Day is not just about celebrating women. It is about women's rights to work, live in peace, and have all the same rights as men.
No, International Women’s Day is not just about celebrating women. It is about women’s rights to work, live in peace, and have all the same rights as men.
A friend of mine called me early in the morning earlier this week, and said excitedly “Hey, Sunday is Women’s Day. let’s catch up for lunch and then go for a hair spa. Everywhere they have given a discount for Women’s day. let’s enjoy!”
I wanted to scream that Women’s Day is not about Spa Discounts and Buffet Lunches. It is about women’s struggle against the pathetic working conditions in garment factories. It is about women’s right to vote and to hold public office. It is about ‘Bread and Peace’ where women took out rallies in Socialist Russia to express solidarity against the menace of World War I. Men were dying in the war and women and children were dying of hunger because women were not allowed to work and earn. Therefore, women took out rallies to fight for their right to earn bread and world peace.
The history of women’s day is far bloodier than beauty parlour discounts and spa vouchers but the day has lost all political context through time, becoming simply a day to honour women and feminine beauty
German revolutionary Clara Zetkin proposed at the 1910 International Socialist Woman’s Conference that 8th March be honoured as a day annually in memory of working women. The day has been celebrated as International Women’s Day or International Working Women’s Day ever since. After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8th became a national holiday there. Originally celebrated primarily by socialist and communist countries, it was adopted by the global feminist movement in about 1967. The United Nations began celebrating the day in 1975.
Women’s day is celebrated in various countries; however, in the twenty-first century, it has become more of a corporate-sponsored event rather than a socialist event. Globally, while some countries offer a holiday on Women’s Day, others mark it as an occasion where men give the women in their lives (such as friends, mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, colleagues, etc.) flowers and small gifts. Every year, the United Nations sets a theme for women’s day. The UN theme for 2020 is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights ”.
Women’s day is not meant to celebrate the ‘feminine’ but the ‘feminist’. This day should celebrate all those women who fought for our rights. However, ‘Feminist’ has almost become a cuss word these days. People are scared to be called a feminist.
The worst experience for me recently, was when I met a ‘top’ blogger, who said that she is upset with a particular women’s magazine because she finds their content “too feminist”. I wanted to clarify and asked if she meant the content was too misandrous. She said that according to her, misandry and feminism are the same.
She then went on to say that how much she loves her husband and family and clearly said that feminist women are those who do not love their husbands and are too career-minded and often neglect their kids and family. I often feel like screaming at the top of my voice, that please stop confusing misandry with feminism.
The Oxford definition of misandry is “dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against men (i.e. the male sex)” While the Oxford definition of misogyny is “dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women“. Therefore you can see that the definition is exactly the same. Whereas, if you look at the Oxford definition for feminism you will read “The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.”
Therefore, to all the people out there, please stop shaming feminists for their values; instead, brush up your knowledge and stop confusing misandry with feminism. While misandry is about blind male-bashing, feminism is more about equality. We should be grateful to all the feminists because of whom today we have the right to vote, right to earn, right to abortion, right to remarry and not get burnt alive as a sati, right to education and even the right to travel alone.
Instead of ridiculing them be grateful for all the rights we have and on a lighter note, also for the spa discounts and beauty product vouchers.
Happy Women’s Day!
(And I’ll leave you with a poster I came across on the Internet, source unknown).
Top image via Canva
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
It is shameful that in today's world too, women are abused and even killed for giving birth to a girl, and the infant's life is also of no value.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence, suicide, and violence against women, and may be triggering to survivors.
I am so glad that the esteemed courts are now giving the much-required verdicts regarding certain ideologies that were not at all entertained earlier. I mean we all have studied this much biology at our school level and it is our duty (our generation) to educate our elders about it.
Why someone have to lose a life to bring such awareness to the society. Delhi High Court gave this judgement concerning a case that filed by the deceased daughter’s parents against her in-laws. She committed suicide as she was harassed and tortured for dowry and giving birth to two daughters.
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