International Women's Day

March 8, 2016 by Ray Morgan

International Women's Day

It's only blimmin' International Women's Day! 8 March is an important day for all people, everywhere. It's not just for us women. Chaps, reading this, it's also important for you. You once lived in a woman's body for 9 months (you probs don't remember, I'm a bit hazy on it too) and also may have sisters, wives, daughters, lady-friends.

This day is a brilliant chance to think about all the wonderful progress we've made, little old us, half of the population etc, the better drivers (winking emoji). Which we have: there's no denying it. Voting, education, and being able to totally ace a management position whilst being a great mum are some of the things we have achieved in our little bubble here in the UK. But it's also day to think about all the work we still have to do in the wider world. There are women all over who aren't allowed to drive, pick a partner for themselves, go to school, have safe ways of dealing with a period, or have a political voice. Little girls who are designated with a husband at primary-school age. Teenagers who don't know what it is to sit in a classroom and learn. Women who are too scared to speak up against overbearing partners. Today is for them.

Gender equality is something massively important to me. Not just because I'm a woman. Because I'm a human. Y'know, with feelings and that. And it bothers me when people - men and women - take to Twitter (the equivalent of shouting through a megaphone from a maximum security safe-house) who say it's not equal to have International Women's Day. Look back through history and take a look at the highlights of what we learned at school (because we were lucky enough to have the option of school). Mostly dudes. Dudes from history, dudes in art, dudes who wrote important books and dudes who bossed dudes around and fought other dudes with swords and guns. So how about being able to celebrate brilliant, pioneering women in history who didn't make it into the textbooks. Which were initially all written by, yes you've guessed it, dudes. This is why we have today.

But there's something very pertinent about today that I must stress. Today is not about hating on men. I think it's a mistake that got caught up and lost in translation on the way. IWD is about everybody being equal, and in it together. We all have a responsibility here to make things good for the whole gamut.

I think it's important today to think about the women who have inspired you in your life, in your career, in your hobbies and interests. Ada Lovelace! Patti Smith! Malala Yousafzai! Mary Wollstonecraft! JK Rowling! Jeanette Winterson! Caitlin Moran! Jane Austen! Mary Beard! Caroline Criado Perez! Emmeline Pankhurst! Laura Bates! Virginia Woolf!

I'm going to stop listing them because I could go on all day. These are a tiny few. There are also incredible women I know in my own life who inspire me. They're fighting cancer, or are brilliant at their jobs, or are great artists, or have lost people too young or are great single mums. I won't list them all, that's boring, but also this is leigh-on-sea.com and you probably know them anyway.

As feminists, today is a day to think about sexism and what we can do to fight it. To think about how to create equality. Shouting loud to close the pay gap, and shutting down gender stereotypes. Us ladies are all seen as emotional, and you fellas are supposed to be tough. But here's the rub: women are tough, and men have feelings too. The more we break down these barriers, the more equality can breathe, grow, and become part of our lives. The less it will be an insult to do something "like a girl" and hopefully men will get less hassle for showing their emotions.

Equality can only be a good thing and if we need a day to recognise it and get things moving, then so be it. Here's to fabulous women all over the world, and here's to change. You can see it coming, and it looks bloody great.