Hey Earthbugs,
Growing up I have always had strong women in my life who have influenced me and helped to shape me into who I am today. I never knew that women weren't seen as equals to men until I hit secondary school because I never really experienced anything that showed me otherwise.
I learnt about the Suffragettes in about year 8 and was fascinated by these amazing women who lived their life fighting for equality. It always bugged me that we covered it in history as just a brief topic so I went out and learnt more and it's common knowledge in my house that if I lived in those times I too would have been a Suffragette.
I now know that inequality is a thing and I now know that women are commonly viewed as objects and there's one example I'll never forget. I remember being out with my friends one day in summer, we must have been about 13, and it was boiling so we had shorts on and we were walking down a main road and this van went past and pipped and the men in it whistled at us. I didn't think anything of it then but I never forgot it. Now when I think about it, I'm repulsed. When it happens now it makes me feel uncomfortable but it's something you deal with, throwing an uncomfortable eye roll in the direction and maybe even a middle finger. Now I like to think that these men didn't do this for some horrible reason, I genuinely think they didn't even see us as people. Never mind 13 year olds. They saw legs. (P.S. before people get on their high horses I'm not saying all men are like this) I learnt more about this in English language at A Level and how even language is quite male dominated and it was really quite interesting. I don't get offended by this as language has been around for a very long time and is ever changing but I also don't feel the need to exclude the word "man" from every word known to man, see what I did there?
I would say I'm a feminist. I'm a feminist because I believe that we are all equal. I'm not one of those people who hate all men and think women are superior because that isn't equality.
I believe that we are all equal, not just in gender, but in race, in social class; and just because I'm from a small village in Chesterfield that isn't one of the well off ones and isn't in the catchment areas for one of the better secondary schools, that doesn't measure what I'm like as a person. Just because, I went to a secondary school where people went "oh" when I said the name of it, that doesn't mean I'm not going to do well in life. Just because, I'm blonde it doesn't mean I'm stupid (I like to use the lack of common sense for this reason as I do say many stupid things...). Because I may have all of this, but I also have an amazing family that have always told me I can do things and have never once made me feel like I can't do something because I'm a girl, I have myself and that alone enables me to go out there and learn something new, or meet new people, try something different. Like we should all be able to.
Now I don't know what I'm going to be doing next month, never mind in a few years but one day I may have a daughter and I don't want her to hear the words "you run like a girl" mainly because it's usually in a negative way, I don't want her to be paid less for doing the exact same job, I don't want people to underestimate her because she's female.
I read about inequality quite frequently and how it is still so common in less economically developed countries, but why do I need to bother about that? It's nowhere near me and I'm happily living in my own little world. Incorrect, we need to talk about this and we need to fight for change because many of these women can't. I hope that one day we will not need an International Women's Day, I hope that we enjoy everyday as a celebration of human kindness. I also hope that I live to see this day.
I've said my important piece now, well typed, so would to celebrate International Women's Day a bit more. I love the increase of girl power that is constantly around nowadays, I love that more and more women are wearing what they want because they want to whether it's "revealing" or not, I love that people are complimenting each other more. I love the support that is happening and I truly hope that it continues to increase and spread everywhere so we can all feel the love.
But for me, I'm going to end by celebrating some wonderful women. Thank you Mum, you're my biggest inspiration and you've done the best job of showing me right from wrong (and you as well Dad, but you're not a woman) and I genuinely would have no clue what I would do without you and your strength, humour and positivity through my darkest times. Thank you to my Nana and Auntie who have all demonstrated immense strength through many times during my 19 years on this planet and have proven, along with my Mum, that our family is not a force to be reckoned with. To my Nan, who I will forever think is the most wonderful person in the world and will forever be grateful for all that I learnt from her in the 16 years I had with her. To Lizzie, my best friend through everything, the one who has constantly picked me up when I've been down (in nearly 8 years there's been a few times), who slays in everything she does, is so incredibly talented and a general kick ass gal who is one in a million. To my English literature teacher who lost her daughter in the a horrendous way and chose to fight for change instead of getting angry and bitter. To any girl I know who has been called a "slut" for doing exactly what a lad does but somehow it's so shameful for a female to do it.
To every woman, the women who are strong, the women who are happy, the women who are on top of the world. But also to the women who need a bit of extra support right now, the women who are rather vulnerable, the ones who are actually a bit sad. To you all. Happy International Women's Day and let's one day hope that the fight for equality is no more.
My love,
Lia x
Growing up I have always had strong women in my life who have influenced me and helped to shape me into who I am today. I never knew that women weren't seen as equals to men until I hit secondary school because I never really experienced anything that showed me otherwise.
I learnt about the Suffragettes in about year 8 and was fascinated by these amazing women who lived their life fighting for equality. It always bugged me that we covered it in history as just a brief topic so I went out and learnt more and it's common knowledge in my house that if I lived in those times I too would have been a Suffragette.
I now know that inequality is a thing and I now know that women are commonly viewed as objects and there's one example I'll never forget. I remember being out with my friends one day in summer, we must have been about 13, and it was boiling so we had shorts on and we were walking down a main road and this van went past and pipped and the men in it whistled at us. I didn't think anything of it then but I never forgot it. Now when I think about it, I'm repulsed. When it happens now it makes me feel uncomfortable but it's something you deal with, throwing an uncomfortable eye roll in the direction and maybe even a middle finger. Now I like to think that these men didn't do this for some horrible reason, I genuinely think they didn't even see us as people. Never mind 13 year olds. They saw legs. (P.S. before people get on their high horses I'm not saying all men are like this) I learnt more about this in English language at A Level and how even language is quite male dominated and it was really quite interesting. I don't get offended by this as language has been around for a very long time and is ever changing but I also don't feel the need to exclude the word "man" from every word known to man, see what I did there?
I would say I'm a feminist. I'm a feminist because I believe that we are all equal. I'm not one of those people who hate all men and think women are superior because that isn't equality.
I believe that we are all equal, not just in gender, but in race, in social class; and just because I'm from a small village in Chesterfield that isn't one of the well off ones and isn't in the catchment areas for one of the better secondary schools, that doesn't measure what I'm like as a person. Just because, I went to a secondary school where people went "oh" when I said the name of it, that doesn't mean I'm not going to do well in life. Just because, I'm blonde it doesn't mean I'm stupid (I like to use the lack of common sense for this reason as I do say many stupid things...). Because I may have all of this, but I also have an amazing family that have always told me I can do things and have never once made me feel like I can't do something because I'm a girl, I have myself and that alone enables me to go out there and learn something new, or meet new people, try something different. Like we should all be able to.
Now I don't know what I'm going to be doing next month, never mind in a few years but one day I may have a daughter and I don't want her to hear the words "you run like a girl" mainly because it's usually in a negative way, I don't want her to be paid less for doing the exact same job, I don't want people to underestimate her because she's female.
I read about inequality quite frequently and how it is still so common in less economically developed countries, but why do I need to bother about that? It's nowhere near me and I'm happily living in my own little world. Incorrect, we need to talk about this and we need to fight for change because many of these women can't. I hope that one day we will not need an International Women's Day, I hope that we enjoy everyday as a celebration of human kindness. I also hope that I live to see this day.
I've said my important piece now, well typed, so would to celebrate International Women's Day a bit more. I love the increase of girl power that is constantly around nowadays, I love that more and more women are wearing what they want because they want to whether it's "revealing" or not, I love that people are complimenting each other more. I love the support that is happening and I truly hope that it continues to increase and spread everywhere so we can all feel the love.
But for me, I'm going to end by celebrating some wonderful women. Thank you Mum, you're my biggest inspiration and you've done the best job of showing me right from wrong (and you as well Dad, but you're not a woman) and I genuinely would have no clue what I would do without you and your strength, humour and positivity through my darkest times. Thank you to my Nana and Auntie who have all demonstrated immense strength through many times during my 19 years on this planet and have proven, along with my Mum, that our family is not a force to be reckoned with. To my Nan, who I will forever think is the most wonderful person in the world and will forever be grateful for all that I learnt from her in the 16 years I had with her. To Lizzie, my best friend through everything, the one who has constantly picked me up when I've been down (in nearly 8 years there's been a few times), who slays in everything she does, is so incredibly talented and a general kick ass gal who is one in a million. To my English literature teacher who lost her daughter in the a horrendous way and chose to fight for change instead of getting angry and bitter. To any girl I know who has been called a "slut" for doing exactly what a lad does but somehow it's so shameful for a female to do it.
To every woman, the women who are strong, the women who are happy, the women who are on top of the world. But also to the women who need a bit of extra support right now, the women who are rather vulnerable, the ones who are actually a bit sad. To you all. Happy International Women's Day and let's one day hope that the fight for equality is no more.
My love,
Lia x
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