International Women's Day

cailinoBAC · 05-03-2013 12:02pm #1

Friday is International Women’s Day. Is anybody going to mark it in work or would that be completely weird? I’m in a small office, 20 people or so, currently 65% women, though I would be one of the few women in more senior positions (ok, so not in Ireland, in Gibraltar) and I just want to bring people’s attention to it, I don’t know if maybe just send around some inspirational email or any other ideas?

GoldCobra · 05-03-2013 12:06pm

How would one mark it?

05-03-2013 12:23pm

Depends on the workplace and the policies in place. Is any "International Day" fair game for someone to mark in the same way? There are quite a lot of them. It depends on what you're trying to achieve.

La_Gordy · 05-03-2013 12:31pm

I've lived in countries where women's day has been marked and altogether a very enjoyable celebration. It's a positive day and women deserve gratitude so maybe you could organise a free lunch or cinema trip?

Morag · 05-03-2013 11:24pm

Actually it's been a week of stuff so far IWW13

IWW13 Ireland 26 events happening all over the country.

Events on in TCD
http://www.tcd.ie/Sport/assets/pdf/posters/International%20Womens%20Week%202013.pdf

Dublin

Rally on women's rights
https://www.facebook.com/events/161072390710361/?ref=14

Feminist walking tour of Dublin

Wexford
http://www.thegatheringireland.com/Attend-A-Gathering/individual-gathering.aspx?eid=2372&name=International%20Women%27s%20Day%20Celebration#.UTZuvFeGs6s

Tigger99 · 06-03-2013 12:48am

Morag thanks for those, hope to make at least one.

jaja321 · 06-03-2013 2:11pm

There is also an event being hosted by the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle from 2:30 to 5:00pm. Its about what's happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There will be a film and a discussion with speakers including SALOMÉ NTUBUBA: Regional
Emergency Manager for Central Africa from Christian Aid and DEARBHLA GLYNN who made the film.

RSVP was for Monday - but there may still be spaces available.

The film comes with a warning btw - as it may be upsetting for some viewers.

Flyer for the event is attached.

OakeyDokey · 06-03-2013 3:47pm

I might say it to my supervisor, she's a bit of a feminist at heart

La_Gordy · 07-03-2013 1:59pm

Happy women's day!

cailinoBAC · 08-03-2013 10:35am

Happy International Women's Day!

In the end I sent around this quiz
http://www.madeleinemoonmp.com/test-your-knowledge---international-womens-day-quiz

with the promise of a small prize. Well, will see if there is much response!

fits · 08-03-2013 10:54am

All the women here at my workplace were given a rose by our employer.

Legs.Eleven · 08-03-2013 10:58am

Happy Women's Day, y'all!

cailinoBAC · 08-03-2013 12:07pm

Wow! I know in Russia/Belarus etc all the guys in the office have to bring flowers for the girls. Didn't think it happened over there though!

Woodward · 08-03-2013 2:19pm

cailinoBAC wrote: »

Wow! I know in Russia/Belarus etc all the guys in the office have to bring flowers for the girls. Didn't think it happened over there though!

Nor should it.

fits · 08-03-2013 2:48pm

Why not?

coffee_cake · 08-03-2013 2:49pm

Woodward wrote: »

Nor should it.

Yeah I don't think that's a good idea

08-03-2013 3:06pm

fits wrote: »

Why not?

Probably because of the bolded part

cailinoBAC wrote: »

Wow! I know in Russia/Belarus etc all the guys in the office have to bring flowers for the girls. Didn't think it happened over there though!

ElleEm · 08-03-2013 3:30pm

I wonder is International Men's Day celebrated in the same fashion.
Do the women have to bring in something for the men on that day?

cailinoBAC · 08-03-2013 3:41pm

Actually yes, it is! I can't remember, maybe we didn't bring in flowers, but something for the men, definitely.
But no, I don't think anybody should 'have to' even if I do like the idea, but really that's not what it's all about.

Legs.Eleven · 08-03-2013 9:10pm

http://sigfodr.tumblr.com/post/44867846844/a-version-for-tumblr-that-can-be-read-without

Friend posted this on Facebook. This is what this day is about or should be imo.

shinny · 08-03-2013 10:19pm

We had a coffee morning to mark the day. The guys bought/made some cakes and we donated money to the Marie Keating foundation.

Come November, we'll do the reverse for Movember.

The day is what you make it about and you can make it about nothing, if that's your wish.

spurious · 09-03-2013 8:48am

My friend is in Latvia at the moment and she had a great day. Almost all shops give flowers out to women, there are special offers all over the place for hairdressers, beauticians etc.. Strangers in the street give single flowers to women.

Family members give flowers and small presents to their mothers, sisters, daughters. Whatever you think or don't about flowers, she said it was a beautiful sight to see every woman on the street and on the tram home with an armful of flowers.

It was a big deal under the Soviet regime and obviously a popular one as they have kept it on.

clairefontaine · 09-03-2013 11:46am

I'd like to know how the cultures who do celebrate this day treat women the rest of the year?

fits · 09-03-2013 11:49am

Finland was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote and stand for election (in 1906). Its a pioneering country in terms of gender equality.

http://www.wikigender.org/index.php/Gender_Equality_in_Finland

meeeeh · 09-03-2013 2:06pm

spurious wrote: »

My friend is in Latvia at the moment and she had a great day. Almost all shops give flowers out to women, there are special offers all over the place for hairdressers, beauticians etc.. Strangers in the street give single flowers to women.

Family members give flowers and small presents to their mothers, sisters, daughters. Whatever you think or don't about flowers, she said it was a beautiful sight to see every woman on the street and on the tram home with an armful of flowers.

It was a big deal under the Soviet regime and obviously a popular one as they have kept it on.

I lived in a country with a lot less oppressive regime as was Soviet Union. But I can still remember the nonsense around women's day, first of may or the similar celebrations. They were tailor made to placate the people and create the impression of equality. Cynic in me believes that you don't need this kind of celebrations when people are truly equal. But hey let's get men to buy us a rose.

I like the events, discussions, seminars and similar stuff that sheds the light on role of women in the world. But I would rather avoid discounts on beauty treatment or flowers.

spurious · 09-03-2013 3:11pm

meeeeh wrote: »

I lived in a country with a lot less oppressive regime as was Soviet Union. But I can still remember the nonsense around women's day, first of may or the similar celebrations. They were tailor made to placate the people and create the impression of equality. Cynic in me believes that you don't need this kind of celebrations when people are truly equal. But hey let's get men to buy us a rose.

I like the events, discussions, seminars and similar stuff that sheds the light on role of women in the world. But I would rather avoid discounts on beauty treatment or flowers.

Each to their own. Some people just like to moan.

She still liked it and it was an example of something different compared to here, which is why I posted it. She was there in Soviet times too and liked it as much then.

But hey, ymmv.

--Kaiser-- · 09-03-2013 3:41pm

clairefontaine wrote: »

I'd like to know how the cultures who do celebrate this day treat women the rest of the year?

Excellent point. It reminds me of a (surprisingly) good post on After Hours, a guy posting his thoughts on relationships. He said his other half would get mad when he forgot anniversaries or didn't make a big enough effort. He put forward the (admittedly rather male) viewpoint that these days are irrelevant and meaningless and what should matter is how spouses treat one another on a daily basis, not on days where they are 'obliged' to be extra nice

Legs.Eleven · 09-03-2013 3:57pm

spurious wrote: »

Each to their own. Some people just like to moan.

She still liked it and it was an example of something different compared to here, which is why I posted it. She was there in Soviet times too and liked it as much then.

But hey, ymmv.

I suppose the point is, Spurious, that these women are second class citizens in many of those countries that celebrate this day in the way you mentioned above, so it seems fairly shallow when, for one day a year, they're shown supposed "gratitude" by people when the rest of the 364 days of the year, society deems it perfectly acceptable to treat them as less.

The whole idea makes me cringe. I did nothing in order to born a woman, so why should I get flowers from people by virtue of not possessing an Y chromosome? And strangers??? Why should I be "rewarded" or shown gratitude? What have I done to deserve that? It seems laughably patronising imo. A shallow token gesture done to (as Meeeh said) to placate these women.

Surely it's more important to be treated as an equal everyday of the year? This isn't the case in many of those countries, so it's not just a case of, "wanting to moan". There's something to moan about as far as I can see.

clairefontaine · 09-03-2013 4:02pm

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

I suppose the point is, Spurious, that these women are second class citizens in many of those countries that celebrate this day in the way you mentioned above, so it seems fairly shallow when, for one day a year, they're shown supposed "gratitude" by people when the rest of the 364 days of the year, society deems it perfectly acceptable to treat them as less.

The whole idea makes me cringe. I did nothing in order to born a woman, so why should I get flowers from people by virtue of not possessing an X chromosome? And strangers??? Why should I be "rewarded" or shown gratitude? What have I done to deserve that? It seems laughably patronising imo. A shallow token gesture done to (as Meeeh said) to placate these women.

Surely it's more important to be treated as an equal everyday of the year? This isn't the case in many of those countries, so it's not just a case of, "wanting to moan". There's something to moan about as far as I can see.

I agree. It smacks of tokenism.

A gesture to keep the status quo going.

spurious · 09-03-2013 4:31pm

Well, she doesn't think so, Two days to be seen by a specialist in Latvia, versus at least a six month wait here, but anyway, let's argue about what the politics are, or were.

God help us that someone might have had a good day and feel good about themselves.

PandaX9 · 09-03-2013 4:39pm

I agree, why get so political about something that is, for most people, just a day filled with sentiment and the chance to relax?

For example, I've seen that in Russia, well, everywhere outside of "perfect Moscow" it seema, women have it tough. All people have it tough there, but women have it worse because after an equally hard working day, they have to make dinner and clean the house and be nice and lovely and blah. It's just very tense a lot of the time for a vast amount of women.

However, the 8th of march provides them with a lovely feeling of appreciation for the whole day. My grandmother was bombarded by phone calls all day, some from people she hadn't seen in 40+ years. It's nice to feel appreciated, particularly for a lovely elderly lady like her.

Is that really so awful?

Maybe the commercial side is being drawn out in some parts, but I know that for most people that celebrate it, be they Eastern European or not, myself included, it's just a day full of "it's the thought that counts" and if some people want to bestow gifts, reduce prices in goodwill - I think that's just an extra bonus.

And the whole having it tough all year round and the injustice of that and the fact that all these niceties only last for one day when they could go on for the whole year etc.. I honestly don't see why that should be dragged in here. I thought we were just discussing the day itself, not why the meaning behind it is "wrong" because it highlights "inequality". Maybe it does for some women, but nearly every person I know that celebrates it (99% Russian) they don't see it that way because they feel they have it equally bad as the men.

International Women's Day

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