A gay friend once described Mardi Gras to me as “Christmas for gay people”. He meant that it felt special and celebratory for him and his community.
I was surprised to discover International Women’s Day felt similar to that this year. It was like Christmas – for women. Except better than Christmas because Christmas for women is actually shit because we invariably have to do the bulk of the planning, cooking, present-buying, wrapping and bringing-of-festive-cheer.
Listen: Mia and the Out Loud team discuss International Women’s Day. Post continues…
IWD felt special and like a big deal for the first time I can remember. Never before have we seen this day take hold in the way it did last week. People were wishing each other a Happy International Women’s Day. There were lunches and purple ribbons and strikes and celebrations and acknowledgements of how far we’ve come, who inspires us and how far we have to go to reach…..well, equality. It was political and joyous and empowering and great.
My heart was full. In amongst all the posts and videos we created here at Mamamia and that I shared on Facebook and Insta, there was one particular photo I wanted to post, along with some comments about the men who are fighting beside us for gender equality but didn’t because I thought there would probably be backlash and anyway, it was a day for women and celebrating women.
Some women were already angry and upset about a video posted by a group of year 12 students from Sydney Boys High School that went viral to wide acclaim.
Critics (including the girls at their sister school Sydney Girls High) argued it was unfair that the boys were receiving such praise for talking about something that, had girls done it, would have gone unnoticed. A debate ensued about the role of men in feminism.
Top Comments
I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that Men work long and dangerous hours to support their wives and families. I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that far more Men are killed at work than Women. I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that Men do lots of stuff for the family that no one notices, no one shouts about, but they still do it without any acknowledgement or praise. I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that Women also kill people. I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that Women also rape and sexually assault people. I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that Women also abuse children. I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that Mothers also kill their children. I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that Women, almost exclusively, falsely claim the other parent is a risk to the child in some way in Custody Battles. There are many more things that I'd like Feminists to acknowledge, but there's one last thing:
I'd like Feminists to acknowledge that we'd all get to a more equal and loving society, if Feminists worked WITH Men, instead of blaming all Men for everything that someone with a penis has done at some stage, which they think is bad.
Feminists used to work FOR men. Because the world was run BY men, FOR men.
If men find it hard to take responsibility for that dictatorship, by pointing the finger back at women rather than doing what they can to reverse it, what hope is there for women to change anything.
Feminists don't hate men. Guilty men just hear it that way because it is easier than owning the problem as a gender.
Do you have stats on your claim that feminists "falsely claim the other parent is a risk to the child"
No, the Family Court and the various Federal and State Govts have legislated that you can NOT keep stats on these things. Wonder why that is!!
If they don't we'd need an alternate rational for why they deliberately removed perjury as an offence in family court hearings, allowing false accusations without fear of consequence.
It looks like the Sydney Girls High girls should not have bothered, even though their message is more important to feminism than any token video made by a bunch of bros. Why do smart people fall for this gaslighting, manipulative crap men have dished out for fucking eternity? This is why things never change. Women just don't have any value in our society and the minute we do raise our voices, men take over.
I thought the vid was very insincere, but I was happy to see the Sydney Boys High speak up, until, that is, I was made aware of the fact many boys at that school treated the Sydney Girls High girls terribly last year - was told of, what I consider, harassment by the boys. Action speak louder than words and videos.
And, why didn't you include the part the girls said about the boys behaviour last year, it was in their letter? Because, that means something to me and it means something to the girls that were bullied and they were reaching out to the public, to tell of their experience with these boys and you didn't mention it like it didn't matter. Bc some guys like to CALL themselves feminists, that's so terribly more important? Also, boys will be boys, am I right?
Great example of feminist bias and predetermined gender hate. Thanks.
Had the girls produced a video for IWD, it would not have received the same press the boys' video got. It was only the response to the boys' video that got press. This fact is the reason why there is still an issue with the patriarchy.
They are not men or bros though, they are simply school kids from a high school who offered support and you see that as a bad thing? I will say it again, we are talking about school kids here.
Whatever floats your boat mp,it's your view but I don't see your confrontational attitude and cliches helping anyone here.
So what exactly do you want here because this is confusing.
Are schoolboys and men welcome to support International Womens Day and women in general or not?