International Women’s Day 2018

For those of you that may not know, today is International Women’s Day, it is celebrated every year on the 8th March. I will happily admit to being somewhat of a feminist.

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

(Quote taken from International Women’s Day website: find it here.)

My children are still very young so for them they don’t fully understand what International Women’s Day is all about but that doesn’t mean that I can’t begin to show them. One of the ways to do this with young children can be through books. One of the books I highly recommend is…

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World by Kate Pankhurst (Does the name of the author look familiar? That is because she is a descendant of Emmeline Pankhurst!)

This book is a great starter for introducing those influential women to your children. Women in the book are; Jane Austen; Gertrude Erdelle; Coco Chanel; Grids Kahlo; Marie Curie; Mary Anning; Mary Seacole; Amelia Earhart; Agent Fifi; Sacagawa; Emmeline Pankhurst; Rosa Parks; Anne Frank.

There are lots of books that focus on strong, female role models such as: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, Fantastically Great Women Who Made History; Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World; Women in Sport: Fifty Fearless Athletes Who Played to win; Ada Twist, Scientist; Rosie Revere, Engineer; Little People, Big Dreams Collection (feat. Marie Curie, Emmeline Pankhurst, Rose Parks, Coco Chanel, Frida Kahlo and more)

So on to the adults. For me International Women’s Day is about looking back on how far we have come in terms of gender equality but also how far we still have to go! It is also a chance to look at the strong females that have influenced me in life! My biggest influences have been my Gangan, my Mum and my aunty Nadiya. I don’t think I would of made some of my life choices without their support.

I asked some fellow bloggers what International Women’s Day meant to them and who their biggest influences are!

Kim of Raising a Ragamuffin says “For me International Women’s Day is a day to reflect on how far women’s rights have come, but also to think about how far we still have to go to get gender parity. Emma Watson made me realise that I’m a feminist and taught me the true meaning of feminism. It’s a movement that promotes equality for all, and doesn’t look to promote the rights of women above men.”

Jo of Cup of Toast says “For me International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate those women who never had a voice, and those who still don’t. To remember and reflect on the brilliant women around the world who are unsung heroes, often due to their gender alone. In terms of inspirational women, I’d have to say my grandmothers. Born at the end of the First World War they lived through a politically and socially challenging time, bringing up babies during and at the end of the Second World War when there must have been so much uncertainty. I never once heard them grumble about it or declare that younger generations had it easier. They truly understood the values of family and community, and that these run through all ages.”

Becky of A Beautiful Space says “I think it is all about celebrating and acknowledging our ordinary and extraordinary sisters who led us from oppression and stereotype.

Victoria of The Growing Mum says “Honestly, It’s not a day that’s often on my radar, probably because I grew up with a different meaning of Women’s Day. I love that this celebrates the women who campaign for change, for us to have the voice we have now. The naming of the day could be better to highlight that though, maybe by the addition of ‘rights’.”

Lisa at That British Betty says “For me, it’s about lifting each other up. Not the ‘norm’ but my own daughters have been my inspiration. They are now 17 and 14 years old and have a wonderful work ethic, are proud to stand up for what they believe in, treat others with respect, have dealt with absolutely heart breaking events better than most adults I know and are wise beyond their years.”

Emma-Louise of Even Angels Fall says “I see it as celebrating women, and all we do. My mum has been an influential woman to me. She left an abusive relationship with my stepdad when I was a teenager, despite it being her second failed marriage, and meaning being on her own with 3 kids to look after. She has always put us first, making sure we had everything we needed, despite having huge financial issues due to two divorces (where she ended up giving money to her husbands, rather than the other way round). It helped give me the confidence to leave my own unhappy marriage when my older two children were young. I have seen my mum as my best friend for a long time now, and I have huge admiration and respect for her, along with anyone else who has ever been a single mum – it is incredibly hard.”

Veronica of My Parenting Journey says “For me International Women’s Day is a day to look back on how far women empowerment has gone. It celebrates the women who had fought so hard for their rights in this world. My inspiration is all the women out there who chose / choose to speak up about the harassment they have experienced.”

Thank you for taking the time to read! Let me know what you think of International Women’s Day in the comments, I love to read your comments!

Siobhan x