This past week, as February gave way to March, I flipped my calendar at work and discovered something. Wednesday, March 8th is International Women's Day. Wow. I had never heard of this before and I rejoiced a little at the thought of it. Immediately I was inspired, for I had been hoping to pass on a statistic I came across printed on a postcard a few weeks ago.
Women constitute half the world's population, perform nearly two-thirds of its work hours, receive one-tenth of the world's income and own less than one-hundredth of the world's property. - United Nations Report, 1980
It's a 20-year-old statistic, but I feel sure it's still valid today. I quickly composed an email to my female co-workers announcing International Women's Day and including the quote. There were mixed reactions, from "You're speaking the truth!", to "How depressing!." In response to the latter feeling I replied that this statistic did not depress me, it merely served to remind me how much work was still to be done.
Women have made tremendous strides in the past two centuries. Women such as Elizabeth Cady-Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, The Pankhursts, Emma Goldman, Margaret Sanger, Gloria Steinem, et al fought long and hard for women's rights. We've won the right to vote (in most countries), the right to own property, the right to our children, the right to control our reproductive system. We've made great strides since we entered the workforce en masse just over a hundred years ago. We can divorce abusive husbands and we can develop romantic relationships with other women.
However, women in the Afghanistan are routinely oppressed, beaten, and even killed. In Africa, women are subjected to female circumcision that leaves them disfigured for life with a myriad of health problems. Women are still raped as a weapon of war. Women are still raped, period. Women are still beaten by their husbands, subjected to sexual harassment and abuse. Even in a 'modern' country such as the United States we still earn approximately $.60 for every dollar a man makes. Girls are subtly discouraged in the sciences and math in school starting at an early age. Lesbian partners are still not entitled to the full rights of married heterosexual couples. Despite Roe v. Wade the US government still won't get out of our uteruses.
Women's Day had its start in 1908 or 1909 (my references vary on the date) to be observed nationally in the United States. The inspiration came from a strike of women workers in garment and textile factories in New York City years earlier, on March 8, 1857. The Socialist International established an International Women's Day (IWD) in 1910 at the suggestion Clara Zetkin. That year, Lena Lewis, a U.S. Socialist, declared that Women's Day was not a time for celebrating, but a day looking at the struggles to come when "we may eventually and forever stamp out the last vestige of male egotism and his desire to dominate over women."1
Early IWD's focused on the right to vote and hold public office, to work, to vocational training, an end to discrimination on the job, the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of 25 March 1910 (i.e., the poor working conditions leading up to the tragic fire which killed 140 working girls), and in Russia women striked for "bread and peace" in 1917. German Clara Zetkin and Russian Alexandra Kollontai successfully fought for women's right to vote being included in the socialist program. In 1945, the Charter of the United Nations "was the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right."2
Why dedicate a day exclusively to the celebration of the world's women? In adopting its resolution on the observance of Women's Day, the General Assembly cited two reasons: to recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security. For the women of the world, the Day's symbolism has a wider meaning: It is an occasion to review how far they have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilize for meaningful change. - United Nations, Division for the Advancement of Women/Department of Public Information, 1996 3
While the women's struggles I've mentioned in this writing are nothing you haven't heard before, it all bears repeating. Until women worldwide are able to enjoy life with basic human rights - the right to be safe, healthy, sane, able to take care of themselves and their children, and free - we have to keep shouting, working, fighting. Let's celebrate each victory, because celebration is good for the soul. But never, ever forget what's left to be done.
Nancy Kunz, Mahopac, New York, March 7th, 2000
1 Womanspeak, (1984), Vol. 8, No. 3, p. 6 7
2 http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm
3 www.undp.org/fwcw/8march.htm
Other References
A History of International Women's Day
International
Women's Day Information and Links
Here are a few selected links to information on women, past and present, whom I personally find inspirational. They inspire me for many reasons, the main reason being that they are hardworking women who are unafraid of risks and able to rise to the top in often male-dominated fields. (Heck, what isn't a male dominated field.) You're welcome to disagree, I'm sure some of these will raise many an eyebrow, but rather than disagreement I'd love to hear about the women who inspire you. I can be reached at: scorpiogirl@iname.com..
Tori
Amos
Josephine
Baker
Elizabeth
Cady-Stanton
Alice,
Jude and Lou from Chumbawamba
Marie
Curie
Voltairine
DeCleyre
Frances
Farmer
Artemisia
Gentileschi
Emma
Goldman
Le
Tigre
Madonna
Bic
Runga
Mae
West
And for a list of more women (and a few men) to read up on, I present the list of names Le Tigre put together for their spectacular song "Hot Topic."
| Carol Rama | Eleanor Antin | Yoko Ono | Carolee Schneeman | Cibo Matto |
| Leslie Feinberg | Faith Ringgold | Mr. Lady | Mab Segrest | The Butchies |
| Tammy Rae Carland | Sleater-Kinney | Lorraine O'Grady | Gayatri Spivak | Angela Davis |
| Laurie Weeks | Gertrude Stein | Marlon Riggs | Billie Jean King | Ut |
| David Wojnarowicz | Melissa York | Nina Simone | Ann Peebles | Tammy Hart |
| The Slits | Hanin Elias | Hazel Dickens | Cathy Sissler | Shirley Muldowney |
| Urvashi Vaid | Valie Export | Cathy Opie | James Baldwin | Diane Dimassa |
| Aretha Franklin | Joan Jett | Mia X | Krystal Wakem | Kara Walker |
| Justin Bond | Bridget Irish | Juliana Luekin | Cecilia Dougherty | Ariel Skrag |
| The Need | Vaginal Creme Davis | Alice Gerard | Billy Tipton | Julie Doucet |
| Yayoi Kusama | Eileen Myles |