March 8th is International Women’s Day, and that means that a lot of women and men are doing a lot of cool things. Also, it means that the Empire State Building lit up magenta.
It’s a day devoted to gender equality, and most of us understand that that means social, political and economic equality of the sexes, but not everyone understands what that looks like.
This day doesn’t exist because anyone thinks women are better than men.
This day exists for the millions of girls who can’t go to school because of their gender, who are kicked out of their home when they get their menstrual cycle, who experience female genital mutilation, for the women who receive less pay than their male counterparts and for the women who are perceived as weak, fragile and vulnerable based on their gender.
If you’re still confused as to why this day exists, or you don’t “believe” in feminism, here are some ways to clarify why today, March 8th, is International Women's Day.
- Looking for specifics? You'll find here 14 campaigns that are a part of Global Goal #5: Gender Equality.
- Interested in economics or business? Women are too.
- If you’re a guy and you think think this has nothing to do with you, see why Tom Hanks disagrees.
- If you still don’t believe that women are paid less than men, and yes there are people that think that, you might find this interesting.
- For more relatable, 140-character clarifications, try following Emma Watson, Forest Whitaker, Gloria Steinem and Mark Ruffalo on Twitter.
A hashtag might not solve every problem, but using #HeForShe and #InternationalWomensDay aren't bad ways to show that you also want to ~make the world a better place~ for everyone! There's really no way to say that without it sounding extremely cheesy, so just let it happen. This is social media, not English class, so use all the clichés you want if it means you are expressing your support for gender equality.
Also, everything Emma Watson does is spectacular, so it wouldn't hurt to watch (or re-watch) her speech for the United Nations.
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