The 8th of March 2020 marks the 43rd anniversary since the United Nations General Assembly officially declared international women’s day an annual observance. This is a day dedicated to championing female achievement, standing up against the societal standards that push women down and continuing the fight for gender equality; but it is also, inevitably, a day filled with controversy, complaint and criticism.
As we embark further into a new decade of the 21st century, many people may question why, at this point in time, women still feel that ‘a day for themselves’ is required. Surely we have already achieved the equality we need in this day and age right? Wrong. It’s true that some astounding and well needed advancements have been made, but to say that the appearance of this progress then dismisses the underlying issue at hand would be a great and ignorant error of judgement.
For instance, a world where more girls are attending school than ever before still sees 39,000 young girls become child brides daily. A world where the rate of mothers dying in childbirth has narrowed by 52% is also one where women in EU countries earn an average of 15% less per hour compared to their male counterparts; and a world where more women seem to be speaking out about abuse than ever before is shared by the statistic that one in five women will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. So yes, progress has been made, but this world; our world, still has a long way to go.
Yet, unfortunately, uttering the words ‘international women’s day’ is almost certain to garner one particular line of response. “Surely having a day only dedicated to women is sexist and unequal in itself?” the fragile masculinity cries, “but what about international men's day?” First of all, a day dedicated to men’s rights is already in place and falls on the 19th of November (or arguably, every day of the year), but more importantly, why is it that the celebration of one group must mean the denouncement of another? Why is it that we automatically associate lifting women up as an attempt to push others down?
International women’s day is not about trying to glorify the rights of women over men, or the rights of anyone over anyone for that matter. It is not a day that women use as an excuse to complain about ‘insignificant issues’ or ‘petty problems.’ It is not trying to vilify or belittle men from having any concerns of their own; because there are most certainly many of these that need attention too. What it is is a day for showcasing how far women have come whilst making it clear how far we have left to go, and then demanding a way to get there.
All in all, having a day dedicated to gender inequality is crucial for raising awareness and drawing attention to the cause, but if nothing is done off the back of it, then what is the point. A day like this is so important for bringing people together for a crucial cause, but it is only as effective as the change that it then catalyses. So yes, we need posters, but we also need petitions, people, and perseverance, because in 2020, this is not just a women’s problem, it is a world problem; so help to create a world solution.
Comments