It's finally here, the day you've all been waiting for,
My first instinct, which I promptly acted upon, was to overwhelm my social media networks with information about the holiday: pictures, videos, articles, songs, the whole shebang. I wanted to make sure that no one could miss this day. That no one I knew would go through March 8th, 2013 without recognizing the value and validity of women in their lives and society.
My second impulse was to critically analyze the holiday - it's origins, events, and intentions. International Women's Day began in 1911, and it was "International" because women in four different European countries participated. Over time, the phenomenon grew to include women in countries literally all over the globe. Women, and those who love women, celebrate this holiday on every continent in the world.
However, this international participation is likely to paint an over-utopic picture of the day. As I have been looking at news articles, blogs, and even social network posts, the Eurocentrism of 'International' Women's Day is evident. One example, is an article on CNN by Melinda Gates. Her opening is powerful, but as one reads on, it is clear that her lens is extremely hierarchical. She sees Europe and the USA as the top promoters of gender equality, and consistently and exclusively uses the "developing world" for examples of "social norms that prevent women from realizing their full potential."
This is not to say that there are not issues in countries other than the US and Europe. However, she, and most other writers on this subject, are European or from the US and forget to look at their own societies' injustices, inequalities, and violence (physical, psychological, and symbolic) against women. Few mention that, although the Violence Against Women Act was passed, several influential Bishops opposed the bill because of its inclusion of LGBTQ women.
One source that I thought was doing it right was the MSN Causes page and their slideshow of top images of women this year. The photos range from Malala Yousafzai and protesters in India to Sandra Fluke and Licia Ronzulli. They include devastation and optimism, activism and daily life. These are the women of the world. Diverse, capable, and taking action.
