hmmmmm ......... not sure what web sites and social media outlets any of you are on but Women's History Month has been a "thing" for ages and a lot of women complained that it was wrong to import this US concept as it blanked out the focus of March being IWD.
But women's history month like IWD has not only been corrupted by funders who will insist on trans inclusion but also the much more corrosive effect of the corporisation of International Women's Day. There's a whole history to this but suffice it to say many women's groups now shun IWD as many events are about getting ahead in business, having beauty therapy, meeting up for a nice lunch.
It has been totally depolitised.
However there is nothing stopping local women who aren't reliant on funding to put on an event to make IWD whether leafleting, or having a silent demo, or doing the Chilean anti rape dance.
It is such as shame as in the past it was one of the occassion when grassroots women's groups could get some attention. Even local boroughs have given up having open day events when women's groups could have a stall and share info etc..
And of course, which is another issue, is that IWD (or the nearest saturday) there would always be a big march which gave women's groups, activists, service providers etc., the opportunity to be seen very publicly to exist. (There were always a bit of political elbowing as to who would be at the front of the March and WfH would always wait strategically at the side and then rush to the front as the march set off!)
But now MWR has sort of appropriated that day (whereas in fact it would be better as part of the 16 Days events). So however central that March is, it doesn't give the opportunity for a diverse representation of women's politics to be seen on the street.
Its sad that we cant work out how to work together.
And yes, of course I realise that even if somehow it was possible to agree to have an IWD march, trans activists would attempt to hijack it.
I think there was a suggestion to just have another day (1 May?) and just do something there.
IWD was originally something that TU women did, and 70s feminists tried to make it wider that women at work. During one of the meetings to negotiate if the two concepts could be reconciled a delegate from the TUs said "try not to think of me as a man, think of me as a Trade Unionist".
So maybe living as we do in the post Thatcher, Blair capitalist society it is inevitable that IWD should now be a commercial opportunity who just see women as wage earners whose money they want to be spent on their products.