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

I wish I could feel the same regarding breasts. Unfortunately much as I value all my body, I would very much rather men didn't love them at the moment as this kind of attention I find quite unpleasant. Though I don't mean to dismiss anyone who feels differently.

I'm with japabsharted in that I feel a bit down about being a woman with stuff that's going on at the moment.

I also disagree in the strongest possible terms that women are bitchy and bullying. I don't recognise this at all.

BUT on the postive side of being a woman, boobs are fucking BRILLIANT. They are gorgeous, and everyone love them: men, women, children, babies, everyone fucking LOVES boobs. Go breasts!

...I have a more attractive silhouette then a man, and companies actively want to employ lady engineers, which makes life easier.

Girls are bitchy and bullying alot if the time

I find this kind of thing infuriating to read. I'm sorry to hear it if you've had bad experience but that's not what I've experienced at all. I've always attended girls' schools and have never had such experiences. They've been supportive, nurturing, my peers are inspiring, caring, we look out for one another, support one another, help each other, and the friendships I've made have been wonderful.

I feel girls and women are accused of being "bitchy" or "bullying" for the same behaviours which wouldn't be commented on in men. Some girls talk about people behind their backs, some boys do. When the girls who do it do so though it's "typical girls" and so this myth about girls persists.

As others said, love the fact I gave birth to my two children.

I love being a woman because of our resilience, now more than ever it feels like the very name 'woman' is being pulled from under our feet. I love that there are women out fighting stigma, stereotypes and abuse to make the lives of other women better.

@bue Gotta love her post, because women need 'allies', all women need saving don't you know? we need men on our side, to pander to them, we can't take our rights - we have to politely ask!

No, LastMangoInPeckham it's a great thread. On any given day I can usually tell you that there are some great and wonderful things about being a woman, and it's important to say this stuff.

I had a moment, in light of the overwhelming challenges women are facing right now, and my head went under the waves temporarily. I've given myself a talking to. I'm back again. Here we go...

I LOVE my body.
I really do. I'm proud of it, grateful for it, rather in awe of it, and bewildered by the magnificent ability of it. I honestly, truly, love it.

My female body is AWESOME.

Just reading your title has made me cry.

I can't answer this today.

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.

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.

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.

What does it mean to be a woman?

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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?

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.

on something

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

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.