IWD 2021 - what can we hope for this year?

[Liquorishtoffee]

Last year I got pretty hacked off as the focus was moved, and since then we’ve seen the stonewall recommendations for using says such as this (IWD was name checked) to gain brownie points...

Can we hope for a better IWD this year?

Been thinking about this overnight (after reading this thread). We all feel so powerless. And I think that this is what I am going to do... I will send for a 'woman = adult human female' bag from Standing For Women. Then (hoping it arrives in time) on IWD I will post a pic of me taking it out of the wrap on Facebook, with the caption:

"My tote bag arrived today!! If carrying this bag will make just ONE girl think twice following the trend to have irreversible hormone treatment, then it's been a bargain"
(And then use the bag prominently, of course)

It's small protest. But it's something that I can do. Perhaps I can improve on that text, I'm just thinking it up as I write.

(Btw, possibly other similar bags are available. This isn't an ad!!)

Got an e-mail through from John Lewis, not a single TWAW mention.

We’re proud to be supporting the #ChangeAGirlsLife campaign in aid of Women Supporting Women at The Prince’s Trust.

If it weren't for Covid, I would be out there doing stuff, so will be keeping an eye on later in the year and hope there's something I an join. Not so good us having to follow LGBTQI+ history month, but hey ho, there can't be many days in the year now that aren't something to do with Stonewall

@Liquorishtoffee

Day of Rage. Niceness will not be permitted...

I now have Verdi's "Dies Irae" in my head. We could use it as our theme tune.....

On a side note, I just Googled "adult human female t-shirt", to look for something to wear. I attach the results without comment. As I'd probably be deleted. . I know results can be different for other people, but anyone would think that they didn't want women to buy from standingforwomen.com

Can women not just have one day to talk about issues affecting women?

Of course not! How uncool and old fashioned!

Should there be a MN motto - Dies Irae et Viperae? Or should it be a different case to make it Days of Wrath with Vipers rather than of Wrath and Vipers?

Oh I rather like that. If I was a tattoo kind of gal that’s what I’d go for...

I’ll as DS - his Latin is rather good...

@sagaLoren

Pretty sure it's going to be a total wash out again. The theme for this year is "challenging gender stereotypes" which is all well and good except it's already being morphed into not actually being about women at all. I've been invited to speak on a panel and was just sent the notes. The whole thing is about how gender stereotypes affect men and women ("boys have a lower reading age than girls" etc). One of the other panellists is a gay male talking about how stereotypes affect the LGBTQ community.

Can women not just have one day to talk about issues affecting women? Of course lesbians don't exist anymore (apparently) so we couldn't possibly have a female person talking about the awful stereotyping and erasure of lesbian women. Sigh.

Given how corporate activism on LGBT+ topics is now focused on reinforcing stereotypes in the form of gender identity ideology, IWD could be a rare opportunity to highlight the harms - but even so, why not let women speak on the one day that is supposed to be about women. They could invite someone like Keira Bell.

Oh - can we just have a chat on here? Have a bouncer on the door?

I’ll as DS - his Latin is rather good..

Excellent. I know that dative (to/for) and ablative (by/with/from) might be appropriate depending on the base motto.
Days of Wrath and (of) Vipers
Day of Wrath for Vipers
Days of wrath by/with/from Vipers (might all work).

Which of the above or a different base phrase?

Day of the Vipers - The Wrath (coming to a cinema near you).

I would watch that!

Serpentium diei iracundiarum

Mum? Mum - why do you want to know that mum? What are you up to mum? I'm making lunch, want a sandwich? (good boy)

Liquorishtoffee - I was thinking about this over night and wondered if we could have a special thread for IWD. And we each prepare something (eek!) to post. But then I ran into the "theme" problem.

Should it all be uplifting, or most radicalising moment on mumsnet (or IRL?), or ...

And would be hard not to have responses (if only eacah thread could create sub threads from within it).

Still thinking, but maybe images would be good.

I think we’d run into a redaction problem...

@Liquorishtoffee

Serpentium diei iracundiarum

Mum? Mum - why do you want to know that mum? What are you up to mum? I'm making lunch, want a sandwich? (good boy)

I'm having a virtual dinner with one of my aunts on Thursday (former Classics teacher) - I may well startle her by working this into the conversation.

It might be good to have several different threads, on different themes.

There's a film / documentary on Netflix called What were they thinking... It's about feminists. Those who are interested could set a time to watch it and then discuss it here in a thread? Stuff like that.

Maybe a thread to share music that women have found inspiring. Or historical figures.

Posters who are or were activists could tell us a funny or memorable story.

Great ideas.

Oh I’ve a thought. Maybe we can also have a threat to remember our amazing mums, grans, aunts, great grandma... the lives they had, the hardships and discriminations that was the norm (hell, even my big sister couldn’t get on the mortgage with her husband when they got married even though she was earning more) - and the things we can do/say now that would have blown their minds!

That sounds like a lovely idea.

I'd like to take IWD offline and out into the real world and if councils, police stations etc won't fly the flag for us I was wondering about doing it for ourselves, in the spirit of sticker woman?

I'm not thinking of anything large scale or controversial, just something small like tying ribbon (in suffragette colours?) to the front door or a tree in the front garden, or sticking a picture of a purple white and green rainbow in the front window or whatever. A day for women to remember the achievements of the women who came before them and honour them quietly.

(And if anyone wanted to do it more publicly, in the true spirit of sticker woman that would also be great!)

Since last IWD we've had the rash of rainbows for the NHS in the pandemic, so I think these individual demonstrations of support are more of a thing these days. It would be brilliant if, in a few years time, you could take a walk through any town in the first week of March and see small private statements of female solidarity.

Thinking about trying ribons to trees and wanting to do something that's not adding too much clutter to the environment...
Many groups were created for painted pebbles two years ago.
It might be good to paint those, as I bet they'll spring up in Facebook groups all over.

Could include the twitter addresses of women we admire.

Painting pebbles and stones sounds like a great idea, and can also write messages on them.

Great ideas for online and offline actions. ❤️