Happy International Women’s Day!

Happy International Women’s Day!.

 

I borrowed this post because I liked the call to action.

“Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry.” Gloria Steinem

It’s International Women’s Day!  And truth be told I am SO excited–I honestly wish it were a widely known, legit holiday that everyone acknowledged.  I really wanted to celebrate this special day.  Originally, I wanted to pamper myself and get a massage or something like that.  Which I have never done before.  But Cool works, I have a quiz this afternoon to do more preparing for, and I work all day tomorrow.  Also, I’m sick, sick, sick, and the thought of anyone touching me, sounds fairly horrid right now.  Plus snarfing and coughing isn’t nearly as sexy as I would like to feel at my fist massage session.

Instead, I am immersing myself in strong female influences today.  This will include:  Listening to the female artists while reading feminist blogs, watching only pro-women portrayals on television (time allowing), and maybe finishing the day with some sort of Lifetime movie.  And for dinner–tacos.  And not (solely) because Cool thinks she’s hilarious bringing up some kindergarten joke of tacos vs. hot dogs–but because my mom ate tacos very night she was pregnant with me.  Every.  Night.  For 9 months–my poor father!

I have to mention that it was extraordinarily difficult to broach the subject of IWD without clinging to the trite cliche prevalent on the internet.  Picking a title–Women’s Day, Herstory–well, it’s all been done before.  And pictures?  How many Rosie the Riveters could I see?  With each one, the impact was a little less.  Not that those aren’t imperative images–I just wanted to be more original to have maximum impact.  To get the day started right, here are some of the most important women.  Remember them, respect all they have accomplished, and research the more unfamiliar.

Influential Women Everyone Knows (or should):

Really, this list is not all-inclusive.  There are so many examples of brave, strong, influential, important females past and present.  These are just the tip of the iceberg.  Mother Teresa, Rosie the Riveter, Harriot Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Elenor Roosevelt, Sally Ride, Sandra Day O’Connor, Madeline Albright, Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Billie Jean King, Annie Oakley, Oprah, Hilary Rodam Clinton, Mia Hamm, Eve Ensler,  Lucille Ball, Candice Bergen and many, many more.

Lessor Known, but Just as Important Women:

Martha Graham-revolutionized dance.  “The Picasso of Dance.”

Mary Kay Ash- her sell-it-yourself goods allowed women to be independent

Joan Ganz Cooney-created Sesame Street

Virginia Apgar–created the Apgar Test to reduce infant mortality

Mother Jones-fought for child-labor laws and overall rights for mine workers.

(Famous and ) Especially Meaningful to Me:

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls

Naomi Wolf, author of “The Beauty Myth”

Margart Sanger–mother of Planned Parenthood

Women of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

I hope everyone has a great IWD and takes some time to appreciate women.  DO something to further women.  I went to Change.org and clicked “Women’s Rights” to sign a lot of petitions demanding fair treatment of women.  Also, get word out about this holiday!