OPINION: Is International Women’s Day all talk and no trousers?
Women have been allocated one day among 365 for global appreciation. Are we doing ourselves a huge disservice with such twee tokenism?
“What do you think of International Women’s Day?” I asked my 17-year old daughter. “I think it’s a waste of time,” she said. “Why do you need just one day a year to say women are great? It’s a load of rubbish.”
“Rubbish,” echoed her friend on the phone. Young women, it appears, may have made great generational strides in equality, but will always accompany each other to the bathroom.
March 8 is the auspicious date, established in 1975 by the United Nations to celebrate International Women’s Day. (IWD). It’s been around since 1911, born out of the suffragette and labour movements in the US and Europe.
Historically, it brings attention to women’s rights, gender equality, reproductive rights, education and domestic abuse.
An international website was established in 2001 and over the years, IWD campaign themes have included: #BreakTheBias, #ChooseToChallenge, #EachforEqual, #BalanceforBetter, #PressforProgress, #BeBoldforChange, #PledgeforParity, #MakeItHappen and #TheGenderAgenda. This years theme was #EmbraceEquity and even had a special branded hug to be shared with friends.
Yet the majority of posts across my social media feed were memes, affectionate accolades, IWD shopping-themed click-bait links, inspirational quotes or reminders to remember the ‘awesome women in your life’.
I’m not going to be a hypocrite. Over the years, I’ve posted these myself. Most years, in fact. To strengthen my women’s history credentials. To not post would be an act against the sisterhood.
In past years, I’ve been asked to deliver an IWD speech to my youngest daughter’s school. I was always thrilled. She was perpetually mortified. Delivering a 20 minute Powerpoint presentation on the lives of Nellie Bly, Hypatia, Nell Gwyn and Madame Pompadour, I congratulated myself on a job well done when not a single student fell asleep and my daughter agreed to acknowledge me as I finally left.
Yet, across the country, an IWD-themed school assembly would likely be the annual extent of time afforded to learning about women outside the regular curriculum. Box ticked. Parents happy. Ditto the companies who seek to authenticate their diversity and inclusion policies by joining the bandwagon.
Newspapers, blogs and magazines dutifully publish their annual list of ‘incredible’, ‘awesome’ and ‘inspiring’ women deemed to have done ‘good things’ over the last year. I should know. I’ve written one myself.
It began with the most noble of intentions, to champion the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women. Yet I fear for many, IWD has morphed into a marketing exercise, sailing dangerously close to the wind into the murkier and muddied waters alongside Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day and even, in the US, National Short Girl Day. (December 21, if you’re vertically challenged and feel under appreciated).
For ONE day then, we all collectively congratulate ourselves for appreciating women’s achievements.
My argument isn’t that IWD should not exist. It absolutely should, but as a stepping stone on a road to celebrating, championing and acting for women for the remaining 364 days of the year.
There are historians, educators, politicians, social activists, artists, playwrights, film-makers, writers and archaeologists who devote their entire lives to exploring and safeguarding the lives and stories of women.
There are of course today women who have written genuine, authentic and heartfelt posts championing the desperation of women fighting for their rights in Iran and Afghanistan, of maternal health inequalities, women Holocaust survivors and sex slavery. Might they feel that officially shining the bright media spotlight on their efforts for just one day is tokenism?
Margaret Atwood’s ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ has seen its fictional (so far) uniform of red cloaks and white bonnets adopted by women across the globe protesting the rolling back of judicial and reproductive rights.
Academic Rebecca Abrams is leading a session on medieval Jewish moneylender Licoricia of Winchester in the cathedral town next month. Rachel Kolsky is a Blue Badge guide who specialises in women’s history walks.
Charedi activist Yehudis Fletcher highlighted in this newspaper today that whilst Saudi Arabia has lifted the ban on women driving, Chasidic leaders have not. Communal domestic abuse charities work ceaselessly every SINGLE day of the year to protect women from sexual violence. Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, an American-Israeli activist, champions women’s rights in Orthodox Judaism.
Most recently, I found myself questioning the rationale of an orthodox newspaper that had chosen to crop the image of a female Holocaust survivor awarded an MBE from the very photograph honouring her achievement.
Rome was not built in a day. (Although, perhaps if the women had been in charge, it might have been). And whilst the official IWD cause is noble, the next step is to take that passion, advocacy, activism and education – and ensure it lasts 365 days a year.
There is a huge amount of work to be done to ensure that advancements and equality for women continue long beyond midnight on 8 March.
The issues at stake demand it.
- Michelle Rosenberg is Community Editor for Jewish News and the author of several women’s history books for Pen & Sword.
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