A brief review of being a woman today: would not recommend

I was surprisingly quiet this International Women’s Day. My plan was to ignore it, but my friends and coworkers noticed. Typically, around March 8th, I’m pretty outspoken, sharing articles about powerful women, attending talks and meetings that honor them. I discuss the gender pay gap and how to get female representation in leadership roles. Joining book clubs, networking… you get the point.

But after years of doing this, some of these activities started feeling empty and vague. We run in circles, telling women to ask for that promotion or a raise, to ignore the feeling of not being good enough while promising them they could be mothers and leaders. Right now, I feel that there are enough resources for this and that the attention of feminist organizations needs to shift. It’s up to working women to adopt these principles in their day-to-day lives. We don’t need weekly meetings and events for that. Now, we need to lead.

So this March 8th, the state of the world pushed me to say no to all of these routine activities. Not this year. Not when war is more present than even — from Ukraine to Yemen. Not when women have to give birth in train stations and shelters while hearing bombs and seeing death all around. Not when abortion is banned for so many, to the level where it even kills women. Not when female genital mutilation is still happening all the time. Not when we live in a world that punishes some women for not wearing a hijab with beatings, acid attacks, or worse, and simultaneously in a world that prevents those who want to wear one from wearing it.

Being a woman has never been easy. But we need to be brave. Ignore International Women’s Day and tell our stories to our junior coworkers, our daughters, nieces, little neighbors – *every* day. Instead of writing books and giving speeches, show them how to be powerful. Fight for those whose lives are at risk. Fight for those who have it way more difficult.

We should not allow for girls to have to stop their education because they get their periods. If you work for a company that has a budget for a motivational speaker for IWD or similar, consider convincing them to donate that money, for example here.

We should not allow female genital mutilation in the 21st century. It is a risky procedure that comes with a great cost for the future health of the woman. If you pay a membership to a feminist organization, consider skipping a year and donating that money, for example here.

We should not allow abortions to be banned — anywhere! If you live in a country where abortions are not easily obtainable, instead of attending an event discussing “impostor syndrome”, find a way to influence this decision: write to the leading political party, and organize your friends to do the same. It might just save your life one day.