Today, March 8th is International Women’s Day!!
Did you know that only 7% of the world’s leaders are women? Yet, we make up half of the world’s population and contribute immensely to every aspect of society. This imbalance is just one reason why International Women’s Day, is a crucial event for promoting gender equality and celebrating the achievements of women. In this article, we will dive into the significance of this day and how we can all participate in honouring women around the world. Whether you are a woman or an ally for gender equality, get ready to be inspired and empowered!
The Origins of IWD
International Women’s Day, as we know it today, dates back to 1911 when roughly one million women from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark gathered together. The United States and United Kingdom also receive credit in this regard as political groups from both countries advocated for women’s equality well before 1911.
YES! To Being a Woman
I love being a woman. Full stop. The divine feminine, the instinctual call to nurture, birthing babies, the curiosity and aspiration to chase dreams and conquer goals in a predominantly male driven world. Also let’s not ignore the obvious – the fact that we women have BOOBS is a kind of bodily blessing in itself. (No matter your gender, I think we can all agree that everyone loves them.) There are many subtle and beautiful nuances to being a female.
Expressing my thankfulness in being a woman, I realize comes with an arguable amount of first-world and modern-day privilege. The life I lead as a cisgendered, straight, white female is the only one I have ever known. I am aware that the opportunities I have been given and the life I have built is far from the reality of countless women in other parts of the world. Those women remain in my thoughts and it’s in large part to them why we continue to stand up for our gendered justice.
There is an immense amount of gratefulness I feel to my life as a woman. I in part live out the freedom I have been blessed with for those women currently still living under oppression. My thankfulness reaches back many generations to the array of countless women throughout history who made it possible for a girl like me to live in safety, opportunity and authenticity with her womanhood today.
I am fortunate but I am also not naive. I realize how much work there is yet to be done. On an individual level we don’t hold the singular power to make drastic societal changes but we do hold the power in our everyday actions. Form a community of like-minded women and invite your men to join the conversation. Support one another in anyway you can from passion projects, cooking dinner, reading books on the topic, watching your children or simply meeting for a coffee and a chat. Forming a collective consciousness will gain momentum and have a ripple-effect on society.
The Rise of Feminism = Gender Equality
We cannot be one without the other. We co-create life on earth, balancing the scales between the masculine and feminine. If we were to become more in touch with both polarities that exist in each of us (regardless of your gender) will we see that the world we create is a collaboration rather than a competition. Living under the patriarchy for a very long time, we have gone too far to the masculine side to the point that we have lost touched with the powers of the feminine. Yes, even men need to possess their feminine side in order to remain in balance.
It cannot continue to be all of one without the other. The mess we are seeing in our world, in large part, comes from a toxic masculinity that gets its roots from an out-dated patriarchical system. What we desperately need is to incorporate more of the healthy masculine whilst inviting the healthy feminine. It’s Yin/Yang in action.
I am aware of the fact, that based on your gender you might have a disinclination of stepping further into the energy of the opposite sex. The reality though, is that you already have been without fulling realizing it. For the potential suitors out there – I find it very attractive when a man takes ownership of his feminine qualities. Hugging, journal writing, yoga, expressing your feelings, showing empathy and compassion, even crying. These are all examples of deeply rooted feminine traits and if we want to improve the world we are living in and the relationships with the people in our lives, each of us is going to have to tap into them more.
Feminism is not about feminine superiority it’s about gender equality! We women desire and deserve an equal amount of seats at the table as men. Regardless of your gender classification we are all equal in our competencies, intelligence, creativity and ambition! Let’s learn and co-create from and with each other.
What the Awakened Feminine is Calling For
Equal pay. Menstrual leave. Splitting the housework 50/50. Not being slut-shamed. To stop being called a prude. To stop being called bossy or bitchy when we show our assertiveness. BODILY AUTONOMY. Not being afraid to walk home at night. No longer dressing for the male gaze. Shaving our legs and armpits when WE want to. Not having to hide our tampons in public. No more period shaming. Living in accordance with our hormonal cycle. Saying no when it crosses a boundary. Setting boundaries. Not saying yes in order to people please. Being paid 100% of our income during maternity leave. Universal maternity leave of at least 12 months. Wearing a short skirt or dress without being visually violated. The same goes for low-cut shirts. No longer feeling threatened when we pass a group of men on the street, especially at night. Crying when we need to. Partners who support us, emotionally. Partners who actively listen to us and ask questions instead of giving unsolicited advice. Orgasms. Avoiding diets in order to be ready for bikini season. Taking a break from or quitting birth control that fucks with our body and mind. Not having to remind a guy if he has a condom with him. Pursuing careers in male-dominated industries. Choosing the path of being a stay-at-home-mom. Having babies because we want to. Not having babies because we want to. Dancing in a club without random dudes taking it as an invite to touch us. Taking care of our inner child. Finding the right equilibrium between our feminine and masculine side. Supporting our awakened men. Breaking ancestral wounding. Masturbating. Friendships that are based on women supporting women and not on cattiness. Re-defining the term Girl Boss as a woman who is in charge of her career path. Using the word bitch in a positive way. Being a hot bitch with brains. That sexiness and intelligence are not mutually exclusive. That the word pussy no longer gets used in a derogatory way. For society to understand how strong a pussy in fact is. Allowing ourselves to pursue a man we’re interested in. No longer waiting around for a man to text or call us back. High heels that are comfortable. Bras that are comfortable. To pop bottles with our fellow ladies!!
One More Applause for Women
Women have a large amount of outstanding credit that has yet to be paid out, both literally, in terms of equal opportunities, recognition, and financial compensation, and figuratively, in the untapped potential and contributions they bring to every facet of society.
To give credit on an anatomical level – the fact that our bodies have the capacity to produce and grow a human-being aka. pregnancy should be enough to blow everyone’s mind. Or how about the fact that us uterus owners bleed every month from an organ and (for the most part) go about our day-to-day lives. The science is astounding.
The seemingly basic yet essential things us women in the first-world get to pursue today, was made possible by many women in history. Voting, studying, working, getting a drivers license, having our own bank account, owning property, birth control. Women were the forces behind this change and it was thanks to their grit, determination, intelligence and bravery that it became a reality. Women have been supporting women for centuries. To find out about inspirational women who shaped history visit this website!
Cheers to the women of the world! May we celebrate them, may we learn from them, may we be them, may we raise them.
