International Women's Day

Sunday 8th of March is International Women's Day. I don't claim to be as eloquent as the lovely Melissa about it but it would be remiss of me not to say a little something.

Yesterday I attended a luncheon to celebrate IWD. It was nice to take a little time out from the work day and reflect on where we've been and where we're going. The keynote speaker was an author of note. Although she was entertaining and well spoken, her speech I'm afraid to say left me a little cold. She spoke as if it was done. That feminism had achieved almost all it could. She talked about the new war being ageism, about older women not being taken seriously. That may well be true, and had she been speaking to an audience of women over 50, she may well have got a standing ovation. Unfortunately, the room was full of bitter and twisted Generation X-ers like myself, still fighting our own battles, and exchanging quizzical looks across our pumpkin and feta tartlets.

Thing is, most of the "baby boomer" women I know are already living exactly the kind of lives she was saying they should be aiming for, and have been for some time. Finding a second career that they do for love not money, dumping unsupportive husbands, reclaiming some life for themselves, travelling, voicing their opinions and not caring less what others think of them. Does Shirley Valentine not ring a bell? I couldn't help but wonder if her impassioned speech was 10 years or so too late.

And really, there is so much more important work to do. Perhaps many of us in the Western world can afford to sit back and worry about life beyond 50, but what about the millions of our sisters around the globe who will never make it that far because they are beaten and murdered in the name of "honour", because they are undereducated, unemployed, raped, beaten and downtrodden, because they are sold as cattle to "husbands" and the sex slave trade? There is much work to do. We have it pretty good by comparison, but there is work to do here at home too. Women (particularly those of child bearing age) are still discriminated against in employment. Staying at home to raise the next generation is still undervalued. We are still confronted with images of "ideal" beauty, of perfect wives and mothers. Women who reach the top of their chosen professional are still seen as bitches and ball crushers. The fight is not over. There is more work to do.

As evidenced by my trip back to work after the luncheon. I had caught the bus with a few women from the event and we all got off at the same stop. A few walked ahead of me, and as soon as they were out of earshot, I heard the women behind me gossiping about whether "M" was anorexic. It was all I could to to restrain myself from turning on my heels and giving them a lecture about Sisterhood. *sigh*

So, happy International Women's Day. Celebrate how far we have come, and reflect on the work still to be done. Do not accept that the fight is over. Your sisters around the globe need your voice.