Today I Googled the history of International Women’s Day. I’d never really looked into it. I had no idea that over 100 years ago, predecessors to today’s observation of the value, power and worth of women had sprung from the socialist and communist movements in the world, later became embraced by union organizers and the UN and would ultimately ring through the ensuing decades down to 2017 – where we would still find appalling treatment of women in our world, a “leader” of the free world who is openly abhorrent toward women, and still millions marching and demonstrating for women’s basic rights.
As a father of two adventurous, curious, strong, intelligent, loving, empathetic, tough, humorous, giving, wonderful girls with another baby girl on the way this week, I’m dismayed we have an International Women’s Day. I want to destroy it. I want it to become so irrelevant that we need not hold space for a single day to draw focus on the worth of women. I want a world that celebrates the vital essence of women every day. I want a world that realizes there would be no world of humanity without women. I want a world that sees the adventurous, curious, strong, intelligent, loving, empathetic, tough, humorous, giving, wonderful in women. A world that sees women’s power and is grateful for the cherished daughters, the loving wives, the sacrifice-my-world-for-you mothers. We need to destroy International Women’s Day – and here’s how.
Start by engaging your little girls with every confidence of their worth, every day. Encouraging them, supporting them, driving them to dream as big and wide and deep and large as they can. Show them every role model of feminine strength, power, beauty, vulnerability, empathy, goodness, success and wisdom you can. Give them every chance to embrace masculine role models, too. Take them hunting, fishing, wrestling, skiing, swimming, adventuring, diving. Teach them to fight as much as to sew. Raise them to know that the world is equally theirs. Let them see you acting in ways consistent with these messages. Start by engaging your little boys, too, in the very same pursuits. Let them see and embrace the modeling of strength, power, beauty, vulnerability, empathy, goodness, success and wisdom in women. Show them those traits in yourself. Lift up those examples of both women and men that shine with morality and integrity and goodness. Teach your little girls and your little boys that they are equally capable of bringing vital beauty to a world that celebrates all humans as whole humans – with respect and worth and love.
Let’s look around today and every day at the things that perpetuate negative messages toward women and girls. Let’s not stand for them. Let’s smash them. Let each and every one of us no longer tolerate treating women as lesser beings. Let us no longer agree to passively accept marketing, legislation, attitudes, slang, jokes, behavior and norms that continue this age-old campaign to keep women “in their place”. Let’s Look around at everything from our own day-to-day behavior, to the types of books on the shelves of our libraries and let’s change this ridiculous story once and for all.
Let’s destroy International Women’s Day by honoring it every day. Let’s teach our little boys and girls to change the world.
Happy International Women’s Day
~ Keith Glendon @Gooderwithbigness ~
Also, check out this awesome story of Bigness, this International Women’s Day
The Ugly Truth of Children's Books
If you have a daughter, you need to see this.
Posted by Rebel Girls on Monday, March 6, 2017
