I won’t lie. When I first heard of International Women’s Day a few years back, I was almost appalled. My first instinct was that it was actually faintly patronising. Perhaps I had simply misunderstood the ideology behind it and the good intentions of its original founders. But truth is, I thought it almost tasteless; as if adopting this one day, March 8th, to ‘celebrate women’ was a consolation prize for not recognising the 364 other days where the female struggle is real and evident for millions of us.
I’ve changed my viewpoint significantly since then. Aside from realising that IWD has given rise to countless positive global initiatives, campaigns and projects for the betterment of womankind, I’m also grateful that crucial conversations are taking place in society as a result of this day.
As a writer, social commentator, observational humorist, truthsayer, feminist, mother, wife, daughter, just human being, it’s a given that I should contribute something on International Women’s Day.
And there is so much I want to say!
I’d love us to get to the point where the only purpose of International Women’s Day is to applaud and admire women’s successes, achievements and…well…just existence. As things stand in 2021, IWD is equally as associated with highlighting and recognising the battles and long entrenched prejudices that women face in society on a global level.
Much as we have come far, I’m all too aware we still have far to go.
It’s such a long and profound topic that I wasn’t too sure where to start. So in the end, I went the other way and decided to keep things short, sharp and snappy and let the intelligence, wit and accuracy of others do the talking instead. (There are also a few from me.)
What better way of honouring International Women’s Day than by bringing you some of my favourite quotes about womankind, from the great and the good (and a few by me too)!
I hope some of these resonated, made you giggle, made you think and maybe made you want to let me in the comments below if you have any favourite quotes of your own.
