On March 8 the whole world observed International Women’s Day where we celebrated the work in the past and ongoing to raise awareness and move forward with women’s rights. I applaud every man, woman and child who has contributed to this movement for so many years. I am however faced with a disturbing thought….. Why in today’s day and age do we still need to make this recognition? Should we not already have true respect for women?
Throughout my life it has been impressed on me to honour and have true respect for womanhood. These people carry, birth and initially feed our children. My wife, for example, is a great support, a fantastic friend, a true partner in life and a wonderful mother. Women work hard at what they do, feel compassion, and have the same blood flowing through their veins as each and every man in the world. Any physical, emotional, or mental differences are insignificant because they are, at the root, human beings.
With this in mind, there is still a wage gap, a cultural expectation, and many barriers in our society either physical or implied. I believe in equal opportunity. I believe in equal pay for equal performance. I don’t believe in adjusted standards to make the appearance of equality. I don’t believe that we should be bullying our gender specific views on others because all it does it try and bring others down instead of holding others up.
There are feminists and there are FEMINISTS. I would consider myself one of the former, if I truly understand what the word means. I respect women; I recognize their accomplishments; I encourage their efforts in life…….. all as a human being, not as a woman. That I believe is/should be the true purpose of a Woman’s Day, to re-humanize us, to make us understand and raise awareness that we are all part of the human race, that we all are born, live, die, and that we should all be loved as a part of the world.