International Women's Day, Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

To the forum

Small Talk Translated

Moderator

23084 Posts Recent Started

Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 11:06 PM

Dear users and authors,
what does International Women’s Day mean to you?

CraftingCafe

383 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 7:47 AM

I think this day is very important for drawing attention to the many inequalities and disadvantages around the world. Here in Germany, issues like the gender pay gap and taxes on menstrual products might sometimes seem like “first-world problems,” but I still believe this day is important and necessary.

That said, I’m not going to a protest today—for me, it’s otherwise just a day like any other. But I also don’t use it for advertising. Others like to do that—I don’t think it’s right to misuse the day as a “shop yourself happy because you’re a woman and you’re worth it” slogan.

It’s not a holiday, and I don’t want flowers either.

The day is directed against the systematic oppression of women and girls, against forced marriages, against female genital mutilation, against sexual violence, against femicide, and against prostitution. And unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do in this regard in our country as well.

Becoming aware of this—that’s what it’s all about.

Warm regards to everyone,
Sonja

Krea_Tina

2681 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 8:56 AM

I completely agree with Sonja on this topic.

The core idea behind the day is incredibly important, but I don’t like what it’s been turned into.

This day should be about equality and the fact that violence against women is still far too big an issue, but instead, the day is exploited to sell flowers and encourage us to go shopping.

Not everyone has to take to the streets, but there’s no need to trivialize the issue by turning it into what feels like a second Valentine’s Day.

Kerstinshaekelschmiede

179 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 12:03 PM

Sonja has already summed it up very well.

There are far too many injustices against women all over the world, and this shouldn’t be addressed on just one day. I don’t need flowers or discounts—I need justice for all women around the world.

In some countries, women still face the death penalty and imprisonment.

Something that I personally believe needs to be taken more seriously and accepted as a real issue is psychological violence against women. I suffered greatly from it during my marriage back then, and sometimes I actually wished I’d been physically beaten, because then I would have had concrete proof and could have filed a police report… You hardly get any help; there are hotlines, but you still feel left alone and receive very little support.

In my opinion, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Best regards, Kerstin

CreatOwl

4479 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 12:27 PM

On the one hand, a day like this—dedicated specifically to women—might be a good thing.
On the other hand, I almost see it as a mockery, because for the vast majority of women around the world, very little to nothing actually changes.

Even when it comes to gender equality, there are only 6—or was it 7?—countries worldwide where this principle isn’t just on paper but is actually put into practice.
Spoiler: Germany isn’t one of them.

Then there are still men who can’t—or won’t—understand why there’s a Women’s Day at all.
I just read about it again today in another forum.

Bastelfan

3513 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 1:05 PM

I completely agree with you.
Everything is always hyped up to boost sales, but not much is actually being done about the important issues. That’s sad.

We East Germans still remember Women’s Day from the GDR days. Back then, as a woman, you still felt valued among the working population, but today everything has changed. It’s all about profit now, not about people.

But… I was still happy today to receive the little flowers that were being handed out in front of the shopping center.

Best regards, Andrea

veronika-t15

3937 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 2:51 PM

It feels a bit like Mother’s Day to me—once a year, people acknowledge it, maybe buy a little bouquet of flowers, and that’s it.
That’s not enough; as long as it doesn’t sink in, a single day of attention doesn’t accomplish anything. But it’s definitely better than nothing—no question about it. If at least a few more people each year decide to use their heads and make a change, it would already have been worth it.
What I find more interesting is what gets published on a date like this (since these topics don’t seem interesting enough for the media the rest of the year). For example, I just read that a city with over a million residents like Cologne has only two women’s shelters, and the planning, approval, and opening of a third one have been dragging on for years. That makes my blood boil, and it shows that giving it a brief thought once a year really isn’t enough.