International Women's Day: Reflections of our GAATW-IS Staff
On International Women's day this year, we invited GAATW-IS staff to share their reflection on what this day mean to them and how they celebrate it.
Here is what they said:
"I grew up in rural Odisha in the 1960s and 1970s and International Women's Day was not a special day. People commemorated important days in the freedom struggle of India and the numerous festivals in our multi-religious calendars. It was only in the mid-80s, when I was in the university, that I heard about the significance of International Women's Day for women's movements around the world. Since then, it has been a day of celebration, introspection and renewal of faith in the power of collectives to bring about change." Bandana (International Coordinator), from India.
"Growing up during state socialism in Eastern Europe, I remember International Women’s Day as a day filled with flowers. Men would give flowers to their mothers, wives, and female colleagues, and children would give flowers to their mothers, grandmothers, and female teachers. In the evenings, when returning from work, all women were carrying many bouquets. Nowadays, I join my female colleagues and friends in their celebrations of the day and their demands for rights and equality." Borislav (Communications and Advocacy Coordinator) from Bulgaria
"Throughout my childhood and youth, I would wake up on 8 March to the flowers that my dad had bought for my mum, grandmother, my sister, and me to show how much he appreciated and respected us. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, and as there was a strong anti-communist discourse in Bulgaria, feminism became a dirty word, and many people seemed almost embarrassed to celebrate this day. In recent years, however, I see that more and more young women are identifying as socialists and feminists, forming collectives, claiming their spaces, and bringing back the value of 8 March as a day of struggle for women’s equality and liberation. For my part, I strike on International Women’s Day by working pro bono as a process consultant for women and girls and for women-led organisations only.” Milena (Senior Research Associate) from Bulgaria
“For me, 8 March is a day to recognise the struggles, the milestones and contributions of the feminist movements, advocates, and women leaders in promoting social justice and gender equality. I consider that it is crucial to safeguard these efforts, and to strengthen initiatives that bring change in places/communities where women’s rights are widely neglected. In the Philippines, the beginning of March marks the start of Women’s Month. For many women’s rights organisations, it is an opportunity to intensify their campaigns to call on the state and society, in general, to recognise women’s role in the labour force, to demand for equal rights and fair opportunities, and to end violence against women." Alfie (Programme Lead, Communications), from Philippines
“In Thailand, I haven't celebrated this day before but I think it is very important. On this day, I feel we can speak loud and show equality in society. In my country, we usually have exhibitions to publicise the relevance and importance of this day. When I was younger, I remember my mother fighting for herself and her daughters, because my fathers’ family did not believe in their daughters' higher education and also had to do a lot of care and household work herself. For this, I would like to thank women in Thailand and worldwide who fight for their rights, especially my mother." Or (Admin Assistant), from Thailand.
"In the UK (where I am from), International Women's Day is often co-opted by corporations and business as a marketing tool. It also is used in a very tokenistic way by politicians to pay lip-service to women's rights, without doing the necessary work for the remaining 364 days of the year. This is a stark contrast to the powerful protests, marches and feminist movements I've seen on this day in other countries. This year, I am too lucky to be participating in one of these at the UN Commission on the Status of Women. We will be be commemorating International Women's Day in New York with a rally in front of the UN building, to demand respect for the rights of all women workers. We will be joined by groups representing sex workers, domestic workers, and other women working in the informal sectors." Maya (International Advocacy Officer), from UK
“International Women’s Day is an intentional pause in the life-long journey of feminism for me. Each year, I get richer with experiences learning about more and more women who break away from the stranglehold of social norms we are expected to live by. It is a day to remember with gratitude those small and big battles that created more spaces for me to be and to also pass onto the others. On this day, let’s claim our spot!" Srishty (Programme Officer Voice and Participation), from India.
"For me, 8 March has been in constant transformation. When I was younger, I used to think that International Women's Day was about giving gifts to women, as people usually did for Mother's Day in Ecuador. But as I grew up, and gained better understanding of human rights and women’s rights, I became convinced that what should really be celebrated was women’s equal access to rights. That's why, over the years, the idea of "celebrating" 8 March changed to "observing" it as a tribute to all women feminists who fight for our rights, against gender-based violence, against the wage gap, and against patriarchy." Vivian (Programme Officer Alliance Strengthening), from Ecuador.
The GAATW-International Secretariat reaffirms its support to all women, especially those who organise and fight for their rights. We stand together with the women and feminist movements worldwide that celebreate this day.