THIS WOMEN’S DAY, BREAK AWAY FROM OUTDATED MYTHS AND REDEFINE YOUR FUTURE
This International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate all that women have achieved in breaking down the barriers of the patriarchy, while also recognizing how far we have yet to go.
I spent my youth as a feminist activist, addressing serious concerns I saw in our society; I carry that activist with me in my day-to-day life. What I pass on to you now is to never let your guard down, because the patriarchy and its enablers have only gone covert in their methods of diminishing the rights we have gained, our economic empowerment, and our social liberation.
For instance, the reconsideration of Roe vs. Wade puts the political autonomy we have over our own bodies at risk, here in the United States. An article by The Hillhighlights the stance of Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, who has demonstrated on the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment (which both Roe v. Wade and Obergefell v. Hodges rely on). He acknowledges that the clause upholds “liberties” but that ultimately, the Court decides what liberties it protects.
The original Roe v. Wade decision was given in 1973, after the Women’s Movement of the 1960s and 70s. Now, in the wake of the Me Too movement, many states have made devastating changes to their abortion laws, with no exceptions for situations involving sexual assault.
All is well to consider the achievements of these women, but women’s liberation is not complete without counting in the perspective of women who are not white or cis-gendered. While these accomplishments are groundbreaking in their own right, the Women’s Rights Movement of the 60s and 70s ignored the intersectionality between gender, age, race, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Women of color, queer women, transwomen, and women in poverty have all played crucial roles in uplifting women and pushing for equity across many fronts.
“Intersectionality draws attention to invisibilities that exist in feminism, in anti-racism, in class politics, so, obviously, it takes a lot of work to consistently challenge ourselves to be attentive to aspects of power that we don’t ourselves experience.”
~Kimberle Williams Crenshaw
The crusade for Women’s Rights is a global issue. And it is an important one. round the world, women in poverty are being elevated to higher economic positions through the use of micro-loans. Research shows that women who are given small loans are more likely to invest wisely and pay back what they borrowed in a timely fashion. These women are lifting their families out of poverty and gaining more agency by having control of the household finances. The empowerment of women creates a force for good for the rest of society.
So what can you do as an individual? Practice self-agency. Continue to strive for the best in your life. Keep that inner activist with you always, and remember that the roots of the patriarchy go deep. Expect and counter the pressures of persistent and sexist double standards.
Self-agency is reconnecting with our primal desire for liberation and actualizing it in our regular life. Where does your next breath or your next chapter take you? And what challenges lie ahead? Many of us have confined ourselves to the myths of what a woman should be. In this life, we are invited to align with ourselves and others. The problem not only lies with systematic patriarchal structures, but with our own consciousness. We free ourselves by imagining a reality with mutual benefit, creating action plans, and going forward with confidence in our own authority. Each individual conscious choice for authority strengthens the collective, enforcing our sovereignty as women.
Let this International Women’s Day be a celebration — a marker of the progress we’ve made, and still a reminder that women the world over are not afforded the same rights and treatment as men.
Today, and everyday, is a time to be thankful for the women in your life, and to tap into the gifts and strengths of the inner activist within yourself.