IWD

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Why is everyone treating International Women's Day like it is Valentine's Day? Like Valentine's Day, IWD feels like a day where everyone lovebombs the women in their life for a day, only to forget about their struggles and the realities of living in a gendered world the other 364. 

I cannot tell you how many posts I saw from people, who I suspect do not respect women or diverse representations and expressions of feminity. It is incredibly ironic, that the Kenyan Parliament would recognise and celebrate IWD, after kicking a Senator out of Parliament for wearing period-stained clothes. It is incredibly bold of President Ruto to tweet his support for inclusivity when his Government has not made any strides towards realising two-thirds representation. Equally, Ruto has not fulfilled his promise to ensure a 50/50 split between men and women in his Cabinet. It is quite peculiar that the country rushed to name and praise the women in their lives, even as they directed hate and spite at queer women. 

These examples, suggest to me that IWD is not about celebrating women and their contributions to society. IWD is the price society pays to continue its discriminatory practices; as if one day dedicated, and limited to, the verbal commendation of women can overwrite centuries of oppression and the reality of inequality. I would not be surprised if, in a couple of decades, IWD is associated with specific rites; assuming the obligatory workshops, purple-themed get-togethers and female-centred content don't, already, meet this threshold. As a result, I can't help but wonder if there's a way we can reclaim IWD and its' purpose. 

IWD is more than recognising and celebrating women for merely being women. To my mind, the only reason being a woman is remarkable is that society makes it so damn hard to, simply, be a woman. Society makes it frustratingly onerous for women to define and express feminity on their own terms. And where one is limited, restricted and oppressed, none of us is free. To celebrate IWD in the absence of this reality, and in the absence of conversations on how to remedy this situation, is to perpetuate a myth. The myth that the problems no longer exist or that they are not as bad. The idea that having one woman in management, or a few women as thought-leaders is enough to remedy the future. Or worse still; it gives fuel to the egregious idea that "women have gone too far" - whatever that means. 

So how do we retain the significance of IWD? How do we keep it from becoming commercialised and devoid of meaning? We must not forget the journey or the destination in our conversations. We must not limit our celebrations to just this one day. Let IWD be a culmination of a gender-inclusive year; not the only day such celebrations and conversations are allowed to burst forth. Let IWD be about all women and the problems we face. 

Let IWD become more than the price for discrimination. 

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