March 8th, International Women’s Day
Hello
Happy Women’s Day!
We heard this a lot during the day, haven’t we?
How did you feel hearing it? Or receiving as a message in a community group?
If you like to share your feeling, you can do it here anonymously:
I like to share my feeling about this date / celebration.
I am originality from Iran, in Iran we have different related days that can involve females:
- Children’s Day — not important for this case
- Mothers’ Day / Women’s Day — it’s mainly a religious ceremony, based on the birthday of the profit daughter. (The most important women in Islam)
When I was a child, this day was only for moms, but it extended it’s coverage to married women (wives / no kid) after a while. Maybe because we had no day to celebrate married women who don’t have a child. - Girls’ Day — which is mainly related to virginity and being unmarried (no age limit).
So, as a person who doesn’t like many of these regulations, traditions, anything you call them, anytime I got congratulated on a Persian calendar women’s/mothers’ day, or on a Girls’ day, I got supper annoyed, maybe even aggressive, as I felt insulted in someway.
March 8th is the only day I feel I am getting congratulated for the right reason.
But, I don’t even like getting congratulated by just saying:
Happy your day, you go girl, you are super girl.
No, this is not the right action!
I read a post on LinkedIn today, this is what we need:
Imagine hearing this:
Happy women’s day to the mannish girl I know!
What does it even mean?
Is it being independent, living on your own, providing for yourself, following your dreams, are these only for men?
I really disgust living in this male-oriented world in 2022! It’s the 20th century for God’s sake.
Before congratulating this day to any women, think about how many times you have disturb females in your life, these are some examples of two men talking:
- Oh, you are driving too bad, are you a girl?
- Why are you doing the dishes? it’s your wife’s duty
- Why are you babysitting? It’s your wife’s duty
- Why are you letting your wife hang out with her friends, they will ruin your life.
Some examples of a man talking to a women:
- I don’t allow you to wear that.
- You can’t stay out late, it’s not safe.***
- I don’t like when you hang out with your friends
- Why didn’t you cook dinner?
***Who has made the environment unsafe? Rapists? Thieves? Just think what do you mean when you say it’s unsafe out there.
You may not see or understand which of your actions are creating an uncomfortable environment for women, because you are already biased in a male-oriented world.
What can you do?
- Respect women as an equal human being.
- Learning about biases
- Speak ups when you see a discrimination against a women
Start with yourself to build a better future.
Let’s fight for equality for all human beings all together.
It doesn’t matter what is your sex or sexual preference.
We are all equal.
To a better world! To a better future!
