International Women’s Day – 8th MARCH

International Women’s Day (IWD), also called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women’s economic, political, and social achievements. Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily in Europe, including Russia. In some regions, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. In other regions, however, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. This is a day which some people celebrate by wearing purple ribbons.

The reason why the 8th of March was chosen for this celebration is not very clear but two important events were probably the basis for choosing this date. Both events took place in New York. The first one was a big rally by textile women workers in 1857. Thousands of women marched to the rich areas of the city to protest against their miserable conditions. The second event took place in 1908. That year, 40,000 women workers in the textile industry went on strike to demand the right to unionisation, higher salaries, less working hours, vocational training and banning of child labour. During those strikes, 129 women workers died in the fire of their factory, the Cotton Textile Factory, in Washington Square. The bosses had locked up their workers in we factory to oblige them work and prevent them from going on strike. These two events are said to have occurred around March 8th.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

9th january – Birthday of Simon de Beuvoir

Commemorating today, the birthday of Simon de Beauvoir, we bring you an article about feminism.

Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, commonly known as Simone de Beauvoir (9 January 1908 – 14 April 1986), was a French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, political activist, feminist and social theorist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, she had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory. De Beauvoir wrote novels, essays, biographies, autobiography and monographs on philosophy, politics and social issues. She is known for her 1949 treatise The Second Sex, a detailed analysis of women’s oppression and a foundational tract of contemporary feminism; her novels, including She Came to Stay and The Mandarins; and her lifelong relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre.

FEMINISM

Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, cultural, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of women.

Feminist theory, which emerged from feminist movements, aims to understand the nature of gender inequality by examining women’s social roles and lived experience; it has developed theories in a variety of disciplines in order to respond to issues such as the social construction of sex and gender. Some of the earlier forms of feminism have been criticized for taking into account only white, middle-class, educated perspectives. This led to the creation of ethnically specific or multiculturalist forms of feminism.

Feminist activists campaign for women’s rights – such as in contract law, property, and voting – while also promoting bodily integrity, autonomy, and reproductive rights for women. Feminist campaigns have changed societies, particularly in the West, by achieving women’s suffrage, gender neutrality in English, equal pay for women, reproductive rights for women (including access to contraceptives and abortion), and the right to enter into contracts and own property. Feminists have worked to protect women and girls from domestic violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. They have also advocated for workplace rights, including maternity leave, and against forms of discrimination against women. Feminism is mainly focused on women’s issues, but author bell hooks and others have argued that, since feminism seeks gender equality, it must necessarily include men’s liberation because men are also harmed by sexism and gender roles.

MAJOR THEORISTS
Mary Wollstonecraft
Simone de Beauvoir
Betty Friedan
Shulamith Firestone
Gloria Steinem
Angela Davis

Bell hooks
Gerda Lerner
Judith Butler

Source: Wikipedia