I could really go down many rodes here. That is the beauty of writing, the gift of insomnia, and the upside of being a bit resistant to some traditions.
I could bite my tongue like I’ve had for the past few months because this particular country has a sordid way of dealing with things specially when they mess up royally, and on that note I could safely type a simple “Happy international women’s day everyone” and leave it at that. Yeah, not my style at all. Sorry to disappoint…
There is the option of compiling data about this particular day, how it started, how and why it got a name, how that name then changed and what it implied then and onward, blah, blah, blah. That, you could find in Wikipedia or your source of choice, my friends.
I have my countless videos about women that made the difference in different areas too. I could always fall back on that comfy safety net, but I think that is a bit 2008… so nope, not doing that today even though I might use them as a cheat sheet and not entirely since this very sentence is a bit of a telltale…
So what the hell do I write about this day? Do I start the quoting game? Do I go from Buffy to Elizabeth Wurtzel and use their memorable words? Do I resort to fiction or to reality? Do I gather the most endearing testimonies about women that I’ve kept with me over the years? Maybe I’ll sprinkle some of that, there is too much material, not enough time…
Do I underestimate the reader because it has never failed in the history of cinema, TV and every other platform? Or do I stay “above it” because that is what I’ve preached over the years? Do I point out the laws in the many countries that fail to help woman or those who have mattered? One list is substantially longer than the other (yeah, shocker! And guess which is longer…). That might be boring to read, and sure, I could crack a few jokes here and there but that might be highly inappropriate… however I could very well point out that if we look carefully at the numbers, if we open our eyes and decide to compare, in the overwhelming majority of cases in most countries, women who have killed or hurt a men have served more time that men who have done the same to a women… what does that say?
This could be one of those essays, the classic “women who have inspired me” crap… but that would mean I believe this is restricted to women… and man play an important role when it comes to equality or the lack thereof…
So ok, women… quite a subject and I fail to understand what this day really means nowadays… however, and even though I’m finding it hard to decide what to write I know I should say something about it. Not that I haven’t before in days where women are “not celebrated”… that being said, what do I do today? Do I accept the rose we, women, are given in the streets of Buenos Aires and say thanks with a smile on my face when I know for a fact that the guy giving roses away makes 30% more than the girl who does the same job?
Do I pretend it’s amazing to “have” this commemorative 24 hours when there is not an “international men’s day”? By definition distinction means segregation… and why do I feel this day in particular is a bit like a boyfriend with a guilty conscience that brings you chocolates out of the blue? Maybe it’s just me, but the whole concept of having this day is fishy and screams cover up to me… Anyways…
Do I wear a dress to celebrate I am indeed a women when I have heard half to death that every inch above the knees makes both XX and XY subtract an IQ point of the intelligence they believe you have? Do I wear a dress at all when, specifically in Argentina, if a girl is molested “her skirt was either too short or her jeans were too tight”? When “she had it coming” is as cruel as common? Do I try to have selective memory just today and forget this is happening in the 21st century? Or should I be more aware of it today than any other 8th?
Do I listen to a few of the inspiring aforementioned woman singing their celebration of love, life, and whatnot? Do I watch something involving women kicking mayor ass because sublimation is awesome?
Or do I keep asking questions?
Okay, question #1: What have you done so equality really means equality? Because that means we should be treated as equals, both, men and women, so that would mean we all win, right? RIGHT????? So it’s not a threat to anyone, RIGHT? Then why is it NOT happening? What is so difficult to overcome here? I am not naive, I could even come with numbers to back up what the problems are and where the interests lay, but I’d love to know why excuses make so much sense… how on earth we all buy so much crap rolled into one… blaming men for everything is plainly stupid here, this is not a war of the sexes event, not really, I cannot say men are responsible of woman not being treated equally in society. Let’s be fair, this is on everyone. Action, counteraction, omission, indifference… they have the same weight and lead to the same result. “Woman good, men bad” helps how? It’s tempting, it’s easy and makes for great excuses to start production of “Sex & the City 7: Girl Power” but that is about it.
Women have made a lot of progress, that can’t be overlooked, but it’s not over, it can’t, and it won’t be, not for a million years. We are not equals, double standards still stand high and proud.
Argentina is such a good example… we have a female president for crying out loud! Yeah, her husband made it there first so I feel my eyes starting to roll at the initial statement… still, she is –unfortunately- our leader … and she does such a lousy job I sometimes wish she was a dude so her gender wouldn’t be the issue and people would concentrate more on her incompetence… equality, remember? Would she have sucked less if she had more testosterone running through her veins? How would we know? And did the male presidents before her did such an exemplary job? Well… this is still a third world country so did they?
Being proud of being a woman shouldn’t be a political statement, it should be a very different animal. What kind of women are you? One that fights, one that waits and hopes someone else would or one that doesn’t even contemplate anything ever changing because double standards and stereotypes are so nifty?
Fighting doesn’t mean attending to every pro choice rally there is, doesn’t involve wearing a Dixie Chicks shirt or being able to quote Andrea Dworkin. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear an engagement ring because you know the story behind that tradition… and there is no need to start a bra burning campaign either.
To me, fighting towards equality starts with respecting the person next to you, regardless if it’s a men or a woman, then there are other ways to be involved with different courses of action, but you have to figure out what fighting is first, and what the goal would imply. Actually making a difference implies a lot more than that, though. Thought and action have to relate and be cohesive. Otherwise we have a huge new double standard and all there is is bitching and moaning but not real and substantial change.
Last but not least, living in this crazy world brings along many different types of fights, we fight for women’s rights, children’s rights, gay rights? Why not just fight for rights?!!! Isn’t equality the very principle of them all? Or shouldn’t it be? Aren’t we entitled to claim we are all the same because WE SIMPLY ARE?!
Anyway, men, woman, people, friends… have a nice day and celebrate whatever you feel like celebrating. I’m just not going to Cheertown over a bogus day when I don’t find it very meaningful or fail to see any particular impact the remaining 364 days of the year…
