International Women's Day...I love being a woman because...

[LastMangoInPeckham]

I can call other, amazing women, my sisters

[MercyMyJewels]

Forgive me for being a bit pissed off at the moment re. Jenni Murray but I AM very appreciative of the education that I have received from lots of amazing intelligent women in my life.

[PerspicaciaTick]

Nope - I rather like being me but the womanly bits have mostly been shite, painful and depressing. Except having my children - I'm very proud that I carried, birthed, fed and raised them. Otherwise the fact I'm a woman hasn't been much of a plus.

[AssassinatedBeauty]

Is it wrong or unfeminist to think that I don't love or hate being a woman? The only possible exception to that is that I think it's pretty cool to have been able to grow two new human beings and bring them into the world.

[dementedma]

Why do we need an International Day to celebrate who we are? I just got flamed at a business event tonight for asking why are we celebrating women in business by holding a women's event entitled such? Does nobody see the irony? When there is a time when we don't need special seperate events because no one bats an eyelid about successful women in business, THEN I'll celebrate.Or is just me? You don't need to be the best woman in business. Be the best in business without the gender specific label.

[AssassinatedBeauty]

I don't think IWD is necessarily about celebrating. I think it should be about highlighting the inequalities that still exist and addressing them.

[VestalVirgin]

Wait what? International Women's Day is about celebrating who we are?

I thought it was about fighting for our rights by going on strike and the like.


I can't say I love being a woman. Being a woman in patriarchy is mostly pretty shit.

And I don't think it is unfeminist to say that.

[Scissorcisters]

Because my boobs leaked when my babies cried, or even when I thought of them. Just watched The Replacement, bought back memories of soggy tops and breast pads. I had to tell friends when first back at work please don't mention my babies as my boobs can't cope. Adult female human bodies are truly amazing.

[dementedma]

Sorry, when I raised the question at the event tonight I was told in no uncertain terms that it was about celebrating women ( in this case in business) which to be seems all arse about, because it should just be an everyday thing and not something which requires a special event. I fully accept that this is probably just me as no-one else seems to understand the point I'm trying to make.
We could have International Women changes Plug day and International Man changes nappy day, because these are gender specific things worth noting right? No.! They are just stuff that both men and women do!!!
I'll back out now as I'm tired and inarticulate...And am bound to upset somebody else!

[IAmAmy]

I love the title of this thread and the first post made me smile.

There's a lot I hate, misogyny and VAWG gets to me a great deal and I can't stop thinking about so many cases and examples, keep coming to me throughout the day. IWD should definitely be about fighting misogyny and highlighting how much there still is to combat, but I don't think there's anything wrong about celebrating women on it. So little coverage is given generally to women who excel in all fields and who've fought for women over the ages, I think it's good to use such a day to be positive too.

LastMangoInPeckham I also know and know of many women and girls who are incredible people and inspire me.

[olderthanyouthink]

It didnt hurt as much as it could have when I have whacked my crotch of something (I'm v. clumsy), thats a plus...

[olderthanyouthink]

on something

[hellokittymania]

I love wearing sparkly pink things and being able to be a big sister to so many young girls with disabilities . I also have some pretty amazing role model's who are women . A few our colleagues of mine who work in developing countries and have disabilities as well including a girl who is deaf blind . Another person who I really admire is Malala Yousefzi.

[AssassinatedBeauty]

dementedma I understood what you meant, and the person who told you it was only about celebrating is clearly wrong. I wouldn't be interested in attending a celebratory event when I'd rather be attending an event that looked critically at any inequalities in the company/business and what should be done to continue to address those. The theme of IWD this year is "Be bold for change" - I wonder if anyone mentioned that at the business event you went to?

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

Before I had children I used to get my period about 11 o'clock every fourth Saturday. Incredibly regular. That was very cool. I felt tied to the moon and tides, tugged by invisible forces. I also prize being unlimited in my orgasmic potential, where men are more constrained.

That and bearing two babies. All the rest of the joys in my life are gender neutral, in that were I a man I would have liked them too.

[LastMangoInPeckham]

IAmAmy I couldn't have put it better.

IWD is, IMHO very much about the fight for equality, we have such a long way still to go...but every year, it also makes me stop and think "I love being a woman and aren't we incredible"?

[FreeNiki]

This was made for IWD in 2011 and sums up how I feel about being a woman.

[Bue]

Meanwhile over here in Canada IWD is apparently all about celebrating the menz The wife of our esteemed "feminist" PM posted this spectacularly ill-judged idea all over her social media.

http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/15213718

What's next, celebrate your favourite white person during Black History Month? Except no, that wouldn't happen, because women are the only oppressed group who are routinely expected to prioritize the oppressor class over their own interests...

At least reaction has been 99% negative!

[CaoNiMartacus]

Nothing. Right now there's absolutely nothing good about it. We're fucked by our biology and by our gender. This fluffy talk of sisterhoods and sparkles is crap. We've been assaulted from all angles - physically and metaphysically - since the dawn of time. We've been hated and used. At least we used to be able to see the hatred, as it looked different from us. Now the hatred is wearing our clothes and calling itself "woman" as well.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

I don't love being a woman.
I know some pretty cool women but that's not the same thing.
Sorry to piss on your happy post but this attempt to be celebratory at a time when a leading woman broadcaster has been disciplined for daring to state a thoughtful, nuanced view about what it means to be a woman, leaves me cold.
Fuck the patriarchy, fuck sexism, fuck the gaslighters in the BBC and elsewhere.

[LastMangoInPeckham]

Yes all that stuff is true, and yes it makes me angry too. But I still love what it means to be a woman, if you asked me if I would like to swap and be a man I'd run a mile!!

[PerspicaciaTick]

What does it mean to be a woman?

[Gallavich]

I love the fact that I birthed my son from my body, which I couldn't have done if I wasn't a woman.
I love female solidarity in my radical feminist circles.
I can't think of much else I love about being a woman tbh.

[FreeNiki]

I agree there is no sisterhood.

Women are pretty nasty to each other tbh.

Girls are bitchy and bullying alot if the time frim school age and I was bullied very badly at work by a woman who held herself out to be a feminist.

It is absolute crap. Women can be utterly vile to each other alot of the time.

[malvinandhobbes]

I appreciate my perspective on the world. I am grateful for the woman that came before me and paved the way for me to have a career and be a mother at the same time. I acknowledge there is still work to do for my daughter to have even more choice. Today is a good day to reflect upon these things. We aren't done, but we are making progress.

IWD in the current form does seem to be coming from America. Give them a break, their government is trying to ban abortions and restrict access to birth control. When you take away a woman's right to decide when to have her babies, you rob her of her freedom. Right now women need to stand together and say "no."

I love being a woman. Obviously, the babies are the most obvious benefit to being a woman. I have made three people from scratch. I carried, them, nursed them, and try to raise them to be curious, persistent, and kind. Making and raising other humans is an excellent endeavour. My DH raises them too, but it is different. I do not wish to be a man.

[JapabSharted]

Just reading your title has made me cry.

I can't answer this today.