And again, today women all over the world recieve flower bouquets, but no fundamental rights…
Thank you! I appreciate the gesture but what is more important to us women is that we stand up for ourselves and our rights! Flowers may be pretty but what we really need is equal pay and fair chances in the work field. Leading positions in politics, female CEOs, fair tax systems, and better public services guaranteeing nursery and care places are still lacking.
One has to realize that women rights are no special rights, but fundamental human rights.
Many things have changed over the course of the last centuries but we still have a long journey ahead of us. Hardly imaginable that up until 1958 women needed the approval of their husbands in order to create their own bank account. And only from 1977 on women were allowed to work without the consent of their “better halves”.
Here a few facts about the history of the international women´s day:
Everything began with 15.000 working women, who demonstrated against low income, long working days, and lacking rights to vote back in 1908. They went onto the streets of New York and fought for their rights. In 1911 there was the first international adaption of that day and it took place in Copenhagen. Similar happenings could be seen in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the USA around the same time. Since 1921 the 8th March is officially listed as the international women´s day.
By now, some countries, such as Georgia, Afghanistan, Cuba, some parts of Asia and Africa (and since this year Berlin as well) have this day as a national holiday.
The Motto of this year´s women´s day is “Balance for Better”.
All over the world there are events, workshops, discussions, protests, and marches happening on this very day. I´d say: it´s great to recieve flowers and little gifts and everyone tells you happy women´s day, but we shouldn´t be satisfied by just that… We women need to unite and stand up for our right. The fight that our predecessors fought is not over yet!
Since we are a Hamburg based magazine: These are a few things happening in town today:
Friday – 03/08/2019
3pm-5pm– Migrant´s march “Gleichberechtigt, selbstbestimmt, frei”
Location: meeting point Gänsemarkt
5pm-8pm – demonstration for equality (organized by Hamburger Bündnis)
Location: start at town hall
6.30 pm – women´s day party (organized by “Runde Frauen-Tisch Bergedorf”
Location: Bergedorf
7pm – lecture/ reading “Widerständiges Frauenleben“ by Gertud Rast and Erna Halbe
Location: Kultur Palast Hamburg
more information on the women´s day in Hamburg: here.
Laura was listening to “I Say A Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin whiile writing this article.
