Today is March 8th and although this was intended to be my next Mix It Up Monday, I thought that posting a more relevant post today would make more sense.
Just in case you’ve been completely avoiding all media and news outlets, March 8th signifies International Women’s Day – a day where women are celebrated for their contributions to the world!
Equality is still such a huge thing, and although I wouldn’t consider myself an active feminist – that is, I don’t necessarily input my thoughts and feelings as a woman as often as I possibly should – I do consider myself a fighter for equal rights.
Although many people believe that men and women are now treated equally, it’s sadly still not the case. Listed below are three reasons that I believe International Women’s Day is still needed, despite women being in a much better position than we were only a few decades ago.
The Gender Pay Gap Still Exists
Although many companies insist that they are paying their employees fairly, regardless of their gender, there has been a lot of research conducted recently that proves a gender pay gap does still exist.
Why should women be paid less for simply being female? It’s not just by a small amount, either. According to the Fawcett Society, women earn 300,000 less than men over their working lives.
Women Are Taught to be Critical
As women, we grow up being surrounded by criticism. In the media, on screen… now even on the internet – we’re always told our flaws rather than compliments – at least in my experience.
Women are often called bossy or arrogant if they show confidence in some aspect of their life, and are constantly reminded how the “perfect woman” should look.
We should learn to love ourselves and be able to flaunt that confidence, not hide it away!
Because More Women Need to Stick Together
With all this criticism around, it’s incredibly hard not to take some things to heart – for me at least – so why is it that a lot of women see other females as targets rather than allies? Whether it’s through jealousy or simply not agreeing on a subject and disliking a person for their views, in the end, the majority of women will come up against the same issues at some point in the future.
Sticking together and overcoming these issues is much better than competing against each other in a race that no one will win. Support your fellow ladies and celebrate how successful they are!
As I mentioned above, I am no way an active feminist, but I do believe that women still have a long way to go when it comes to being equal to men. We’re awesome and we should celebrate it!
Excuse This Honesty 