International Women's Day: Feminism Gone Wrong?

Ah, Women’s Day. A day dedicated to women. On the surface seems like a positive move for feminism, but when you really start to analyse it, it’s all gone wrong somewhere.

Feminism is about being equal. If we want true equality there should be an International Men’s Day. That would be true equality.

The fact that women have to have a day dedicated to them just shows the inequality still rife in Western society. One can’t help but feel patronised. It seems like they are saying “you’ve done well, considering you’re a woman”.

All the figures released on this day are about business statistics. How many women are in charge of corporations, how many are CEOs. Why are we judging our success on what are very capitalist ideals?

A woman’s success cannot be measured on business alone. If what she has aimed for is to be CEO, then of course she is successful. But does that mean that the woman who takes pride in her clean house and part time job is unsuccessful?

If today was about the feminist movement and giving thanks, I would be flying flags for the cause. But the media have turned it in to something else, something unnerving. A comparison of men and women in the workplace. This just perpetuates the capitalistic and masculine ideals of the nation we live in. It is impossible to compare men and women. It is impossible to compare women with each other.

I do not need a day dedicated to me to remind me of my success. I may not be a CEO or managing director, but I am proud of my achievements. They would be the same if I were male.

I have not been successful because of, or in spite of, my gender. It is due to hard work and dedication.

International Women’s Day should be used as a remembrance and celebration of everything female and not just concentrated on the Forbes 'Most Powerful’ list.

A Game of Two Halves

I recently went to my first football match and was going to do a blog about that, but in a true feature-writing way, I have managed to turn it into a metaphor for relationships.

If you’re not on the same side it’ll never work. You’ll always be fighting against each other. Passing the buck from one to the other. Neither side can understand the other’s tactics. But, unlike football, there is no referee. When either team plays dirty, there’s no one to stop it.

What one side sees as a foul, the other can see as merely a tackle.

When you’re from different teams, playing by different rules, it’s doomed from the start.

If you’re playing with someone out of your league, you go in expecting to lose and inevitably do. If you’re playing with someone in the lower division and go in convinced of winning, and therefore not on your best game, you come away shocked when it’s you that’s the loser.

There will always be spectators, but unless they’re playing the game, they will not understand the tactics.

Is it worth going to extra time, or will the result remain the same?

Someone has to call time on the game and make a decision, and it may not be a popular one. And most of the time, you’re left with mud on your face.