Yesterday, March 8th, was the International Women’s Day. The day is a celebration for important achievements of women all over the world. I think it’s good that they’re achieving gender equality and such, but the fact that they need a day to celebrate it means it’s not something that came easily. This makes me sigh at humans. In my opinion, it would be better if there were no IWD, actually. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not trying to make people stop celebrating it. Let me explain:
It would be much better if the equality were treated as it should be – as given. Of course everyone is equal! How did anyone get another idea? If that had just been practiced from the start, we wouldn’t need any IWD!
One thing I’m sceptical towards is that the IWD could actually promote differences while trying to erase them. Because the day celebrates women, I understand it as an “us VS them” celebration. Creating equality is impossible if you’re promoting differences at the same time, no matter if it’s unconsciously. It should be “we celebrate our achievements” not “they celebrate their achievements”.
Tuesday, 1. September 2009
I agree with you, Víkþórr.
Celebrating a women’s day promotes a “us vs. them” mindset. It generates separation between the genders.
And it is in itself sexist to have a women’s day, because where’s the men’s day? Or does it mean that if March 8th is the women’s day, all other 364(5) days of the year are men’s days?
I am radically against a women’s day and intentionally ignore it. I think it’s well meant but the idea is stupid and contributes to sexism instead of eliminating it.
Rósínr. ;)
Tuesday, 1. September 2009
An acquaintance of mine turned 26 today, and consequentially, he will most likely choose to celebrate his birthday one way or the other. Is he, and those who join him in the celebration, then indulging in the “promotion of a ‘him vs. the rest’” mindset?
Tuesday, 1. September 2009
@Eirik: celebrating one’s birthday with friends is based on personal sympathy, not on an objective criterion like gender, race or age. But treating someone differently only based on their gender (like celebrating all women on March 8th), isn’t that the very definition of gender discrimination? The fact that it’s in favor of women for a change doesn’t make it less discriminating. That’s why I think it reinforces sexism in a subtle way. If your friend invited all 26 year olds in his town to his birthday and nobody else, then that would be “us vs. them” too.
@Víkþórr: But I want such a fancy ‘r’ at the end of my name too! It looks so wild and cool. My fabulous linguistic intuition (:p) tells me that “Rósíner” would not be possible (and it looks lame). Maybe “Rósíngr”?
Tuesday, 1. September 2009
I’m actually reading feminist theory at the moment, and I would recomend it to anyone, although you must certainly read it with a certain knowledge of who the author was. But it sure gives some good points on why feminism is actually important and not opposed to equality.
Tuesday, 1. September 2009
Eirik WS: Of course, there are differences, and I have no problem with that. I say everyone is equal exactly because everyone should be treated equally. The existence of differences doesn’t need to be pointed out. I think we agree, actually.
When it comes to birthdays, that’s a celebration of an individual, not a group of people. I think dividing people into groups is a problem, because it eventually leads to an “us VS them” mentality, which I feel the IWD is contributing to.
Rosine: There is actually a IMD, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Men%27s_Day – but I’ve never heard anything about it before looking for it.
Eva: I’m not talking about feminism – it isn’t the same as the IWD. It’s about the very idea of celebrating a group of people while wanting them to be equal, which doesn’t make much sense.