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

[LastMangoInPeckham]

I can call other, amazing women, my sisters

I can't think of anything specific to being a woman that I love really. Not because I have had a particularly hard time being one (I haven't), but more that I can't really embrace the whole 'celebrate your body' thing

I don't get this either. I really don't understand the very negative comments one sees on FWR about being ashamed of one's female body or hating it but I don't understand the other extreme either

It's the vessel my mind inhabits and it's fit for the purposes I need.

I loved being pregnant but I don't really see that as a big deal either. It's the female body's distinguishing feature - most women can get pregnant and no particular talent is needed.

The only thing I can think of I really hated about being female was breast feeding- what an unmitigated misery that was.

I don't get the sisterhood thing at all. I've met people, men and women, I like and who have been encouraging and helpful. I had teachers who inspired me;I've also met people who were horrible, mean, spiteful and malicious.

I am not sure what the point of International Women's Day is. I definitely see merit in highlighting matters such as lack of education, maternity and contraception rights which need to be addressed. I'm less sure of the merit of pointing out "look women can do things too "

"I really don't understand the very negative comments one sees on FWR about being ashamed of one's female body or hating it"

Can you imagine an upbringing where that was constantly emphasised to you from being a small child? Some people will internalise that and find it hard to reject it. Some people are lucky not to have experienced that, or to have a teflon-coated personality where they were able to ignore/reject it.

Can you imagine an upbringing where that was constantly emphasised to you from being a small child?

No , frankly I can't other than in the context of some sort of mad, religious fundamentalist way.

No nothing like that. More subtle, but persistent.

Lass I think International Women's Day is important for a number of reasons and sadly it still seems necessary to point out that women can do things. There's a lot more to it but off the top of my head see studies such as this: www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jan/26/girls-believe-brilliance-is-a-male-trait-research-into-gender-stereotypes-shows and I recall a documentary by Professor Alice Roberts and some chap last year where a group of girls in a school explained why they couldn't do STEM subjects because they were "too hard" and "boys' subjects". A day which helps raise awareness of say women such as Rosalind Franklin, Ada Lovelace, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (to take STEM examples) is unfortunately, in my opinion, important when so many girls are unaware of women who've excelled and feel brilliance is the preserve of boys.

Does anybody else think IWD was incredibly low key this year? I work in a field where we get notices through about all sorts of celebrations for every 'day' and 'month' under the sun but I got nothing through for IWD this year. Have there been fewer events than normal?

Does anybody else think IWD was incredibly low key this year?

I would not have noticed if this thread weren't here.

I'm not sure I would have noticed in other years but I do recall my son in his 4th, 5th and 6th years at school coming home and telling me it was IWD- That was around 10 years ago

Pencils... there do seem to have been fewer events on IWD this year, but there is MWR in London this weekend, and it was well supported in the USA, again with lots of activities and protests planned this weekend.