How women’s activism is changing the world
“A strong woman stands up for herself, A stronger woman stands up for everyone else”.
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Every year, on the 8th of March the entire world celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. It’s like all of a sudden we realise that there are so many incredible and fierce women out there and we have to talk about it. The day after we are already focusing on something else, waiting for the next International Women Day to come.
Women’s achievement should be celebrated every day, everywhere, because whether you like it or not, there are plenty of girls and women standing, marching, fighting for their, and the all human beings rights.
Historical are the battles for the right to bodily integrity and autonomy, to vote, to hold public office, to enter into legal contracts, to have equal rights in family law, to work, to fair wages or equal pay, to have reproductive rights, to education. Years later most of these battles are far from being won. But yet, so many women are holding the ground, going against a system that struggles to acknowledge them.
Some human rights are constantly denied to women on a daily basis, creating multiple obstacles they must face over and over again in their life. From being denied the same schooling and education as their male equivalents, to being forced to marry against their will, from facing physical or mental abuse within their home to suffering health complications in childbirth.
There are human rights that are routinely denied to an individual, simply because she has been born a girl. And there are millions of women, all over the world, that are working hard every day to make sure all voices can be heard and all human rights are respected. And is not just about women rights, it is about all human rights, because from a female point of view humanity counts as a whole. Although this world keeps pushing a male oriented and designed perspective, for which you are an human being worth of value only if you are male, and white.
Every thing is this world is designed to enforce and protect men rights. Right to vote, drive, divorce. Right to have children without giving up on the career, negotiate a salary, travel, study, walk alone on the street without risking to be harassed or raped. Right to practice sport and dress freely. Women, they just have to undergo without questioning, rules, practices and behaviours that will reduce their freedom because men says so.
No! Men and women have the same rights. Full stop. No one should be entitled to less because of their gender, colour of the skin, sexual orientation, religion.
With social justice and racism at the forefront of conversation, and the COVID-19 pandemic persisting, social movements are gaining historic momentum, thanks to the systemic use of social media and technology. Something that Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Christabel Pankhurst, Dorothy Height or Jane Addams didn’t have, but that didn’t stop them from fighting. So why should we?
