I’ll be honest and admit that I didn’t realize today was International Women’s Day until I was browsing the news online. While the homepage highlights some interesting topics such as women in the Asia-Pacific region lacking economic power and a recent women’s bill in India’s legislature, the notion that this day wasn’t milked for political purposes would be too good to be true. Enter the two “causes” that fired up this firecracker:
1. Anti-Americanism: If I am reading correctly, which I assume I am, the name given to today is “International Women’s Day.” It is not “Women Outside of the U.S.A. Day” or “Non-American Women’s Day.” Yet on the front page of the IWD website we have a link to a video where we can all take pride in Pakistani women condeming the U.S. Now I understand that Pakistan hasn’t exactly been hailed as a model for women’s rights and some would aruge that women exercising free speech is a step forward, but is anyone else getting mixed messages here? We’re celebrating INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S day! The paragraph discussing the first year it was celebrated specifically states, “Clara Zetkin proposed that every year in every country there should be one same day when women’s solidarity presses for equality…” So explain to me please, IWD committee, just how Pakistani women protesting the U.S. (not an all male country by any stretch of the imagination) is practicing solidarity.
2. A woman’s “right to choose”: To IWD’s credit, I didn’t see anything about abortion and “reproductive rights” on the home page, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t somewhere on the site, as I’m willing to bet it is. I have, however, seen more than a few articles, blog posts, facebook status updates, etc thanking the women of yesteryear for “fighting for the right to make choices about our own bodies.” While this refers to women having abotions, let’s talk about the choices part for a second. Unlike some other places in the world, I don’t worry about female genital mutilation. I don’t worry about having an arranged marriage and the ensuing physical relationship that comes with that. I don’t worry about having my feet bound, because small feet are a sign of beauty. I don’t worry about being forced into prostitution. I don’t worry about being trafficked. These are choices that other women don’t (or didn’t) get to make. Guess what? I also can choose not to have sex, which means I won’t have to decide between personal accountability and a child or ending a life, because I didn’t think about my actions.
Next year will mark IWD’s centennial. There’ll be big celebrations, I’m sure. But, as for me, I don’t need a day of identity politics, anti-Americaism, and the “reproductive rights” crowd cheapening the contributions extraordinary women have made. I’ll instead continue to look up to those women, women like my mother, grandmother, Condoleezza Rice, Margaret Thatcher, and GEN Ann Dunwoody, who insprire me. These women make me proud. They also love America and don’t feel the need to make their ovaries the most important part about being a woman.
Great insights!