There is one sacred rule you must abide during International Women’s Day: do not ask when the International Men’s Day is. Women are not walking Google searches. Also, you wouldn’t show up on Pancake Day asking when burritos are getting the recognition they deserve.
Some still question the need for international commemorations like this. Don’t women have equal rights yet? But women can wear trousers now! And, more recently: don’t we live in a post-gender world? International Women’s Day, feminism, women’s rights – it’s common sense now, isn’t it?
If, for some reason, you are still confused about why we continue celebrating a day that is dedicated to women, here are some things you might have missed.
Unfortunately, we still live in a world where a person is blamed for getting raped because of the fabric of her underwear, where sexual violence is still a prevalent weapon of war, and where transgender people get abused and murdered in heart-wrenching numbers despite making a very small percentage of the population. These are gender issues.
This is not to ignore the role toxic gender ideology plays in male suicide, which is the biggest cause of death in men under 45 in the UK; or the fact a lot of medical research is done on male bodies, rendering many treatments ineffective for people with vaginas. Then there’s education opportunities, or lack of them, regarding women. It is proven that when women of the household are educated, they elevate the overall income threshold, which can help elevate families out of poverty.
Here’s a thing about gender issues – they do not only affect women. For too long the term gender has entertained the mainstream narrative of feminism as a gateway to women-only problems. Men, non-binary, trans people – all experience gender issues in their everyday lives. These issues should not be left to them to solve. International Women’s Day is a good time to acknowledge the variety of gender-based issues within the social, economical and political realm.
Gender also interacts with other social signifiers including race, socio-economic background, and disability, and they all operate within the system of privilege and oppression. Often our social signifiers can go unnoticed in environments where we operate because privilege likes the company of other privilege. For instance, I only ever feel white when I’m not in a predominantly white environment. I only notice my gender when I’m surrounded by men. It is important to break down the barriers of ignorance and realise that equality, despite the appearance of its abundance, is not fully implemented in our modern society.
It is far too easy to get comfortable in somewhat progressive institutions like universities, or even your friend circles in which you don’t identify people by their social signifiers, but life tends to come at you fast.
Be faster.
Photo: Omar Lopez
