International Women's Day has come and gone, without me writing a thing about it... But it's not too late to recognize the achievements that women have made over the past century and solidify efforts for the future. People ask me if I think this day is sexist, what with all the flowers and soft presents for women, and if recognizing women on just one day out of the whole year is not enough. To this I say that as long as men control this day (how it gets celebrated and what exactly gets recognized), then it can very easily slip down a steep sexist slope. If this day becomes about gifting kitchen appliances and men doing "women's jobs" for a day by "helping out" with dinner and vacuuming, then I see this as another underscoring of gender inequalities.
But we can claim this day and make it about what we want! We can use this platform to speak up about the status of women in the world and urge all people to unify in our efforts to create a peaceful and safe space for everyone.
Visit the International Women's Day Site to see
what movements are going on around the world
and how you can get involved!
As for me, I've been thinking about the idea of Feminist Coming Out Day. Being a feminist is an identity that is not always accepted in various social spheres. In fact, as a Russian feminist, I don't even know how to broach this subject with most Russians. I think my own personal activism will be around coming out to the Russian community and putting a face to feminism.
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