Happy Women's day!

[Taliesin]

Today is the International Women's Day!

I would like to wish Happy Women's Day, the one day of 365 on which men feel that they should be nice to women, to all of the female members of LitNet - there is quite a number of them so I can't name them all, sorry.


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[Nightshade]

Awwww.....:D I love daffs ! wait isnt mothers day soon? I need to get my Oma a card...hummm

[sprinks]

I have a feeling a lot of the guys at my school will be unaware of this day! :rolleyes:

[Pensive]

Thanks Bro! :)

Not that I care much for it or anything, but it's always nice to have something to wish for! :D

[Scheherazade]

Not that I care much for it or anything, but it's always nice to have something to wish for! :DWhat are you wishing for?

Thanks for the though, Tal, but I will personally postpone the celebrations till no woman is oppressed under the cover of religion.

[Nightshade]

What are you wishing for?

Thanks for the though, Tal, but I will personally postpone the celebrations till no woman is oppressed under the cover of religion.

Or social expectations, which are just as bad if more insidious.

[Chava]

Or social expectations, which are just as bad if more insidious.

Agreed.

[Scheherazade]

Aren't social expectations, generally speaking, a result of religious ones?

[Chava]

Virtuousness perhaps, but since when were beauty and shaved legs the words of Jesus? :)

[Scheherazade]

I hardly see such legs a sign of oppression ;)

[Nightshade]

Or I cant possibly be happy unless Im in a relationshipo and my life revolves around someone else... or having to be skinny and pretty and dress a certain way..

[Pensive]

What are you wishing for?

Thanks for the though, Tal, but I will personally postpone the celebrations till no woman is oppressed under the cover of religion.

Well, I don't think the purpose of Women's Day is only to measure how much erradication of oppression of women in this world there has been, it also serves as a way to remember we women have got strength and power and just like men are doing something in this world to make it a better place (or a worse place if you think that way :p) . Just a realization of how much we are capable of. So maybe I am wishing for the progress of the women-kind as a whole? And maybe I am celebrating the progress that we have made? (though obviously you can always argue on how much progress there has been).

[kilted exile]

I refuse to acknowledge this, black history month or any other of the made up theme days. I will only be celebrating when we as a world have progressed enough societally that there is no need for them anymore

[Scheherazade]

Or I cant possibly be happy unless Im in a relationshipo and my life revolves around someone else... or having to be skinny and pretty and dress a certain way..
Let's discuss this issue again when a woman gets stoned to death or killed by their own brother/father because they have dishonoured their family by not having a boyfriend or by being overweight / not skinny enough or by not having that pretty dress or by failing to shave their legs, why don't we?

:)

[Nightshade]

yes but that isn't the only definition of oppression scher, and control and things start small and then before you know it you've lost all your rights, and the relationship thing links directly to considering women to not be a whole independent individual person capable of making sound decisions for herself but just some kind of ( often expendable unimportant but useful) extension of a man. and the shaving and skinny is letting other people define and control how you you see yourself and how society sees you and just opens the door way to the kind of oppression you are talking about. and personally I tend to think those are more socially caused than religious, unless you take into account that religion really is a cultivation of society, culture and history with a bit of mysticism and some kind of faith thrown in to the mix in which case sure religion is beautiful tool for oppression, but not the cause.

[Pensive]

Let's discuss this issue again when a woman gets stoned to death or killed by their own brother/father because they have dishonoured their family because they do not have a boyfriend or they are overweight / not skinny enough or they do not have that pretty dress or they have failed to shave their legs, why don't we?

These are some examples. There also are examples where a father has realised how his daughter should have the same rights as his son. Where a father sends his daughter to school rather than his son because he can afford the education of only one child and it's his daughter who excels in the school rather than his son? Where a man is hanged for raping a woman? Where a brother givs his own life saving his sister? Where an overweight ugly woman is also respected just because she is a human-being? Where a pregnant woman is given the thing in the shop first by the shopkeeper just because he has something called 'kindness' in his heart? Maybe we can celebrate for all this?

Well, maybe I am just not a perfectionist, I just don't think this world can be a perfect place. There are also days dedicated to racism and many more things, just because racism hasn't been totally erradicated from the world is no reason in my opinion to stop celebrating this day. But I guess each to his own. :)

[Scheherazade]

We can, of course, talk about what such social conditionings might lead to... Or we can concentrate on what is already happening in many parts of the world:

Many women do not have a say on their future, do not get educated, are not allowed to leave home without being accompanied by a male relative. This practise does not consider woman a lesser being who cannot be independent of men in her life?

As it is, women do have a control over their reaction towards the kind of social conditioning taking place: You don't have to be in a relationship, shave your legs or wear mini skirts if it does not suit you. You can make a stand but what about the little sister who is forced to marry someone who is 20 years older than herself at the age of 16 or who is disowned by her own family because she has had a boyfriend?

Pensive> Those are heart warming examples, which, I am sure you will agree too, are hard to come by in the world we are talking about.

I have no problem anyone celebrating the day but for me, personally, it is a little premature.

[Nightshade]

:D oh wait I just thought isnt the purpose of the day to highlight oppressions as well and raise the profile of women? in which case we are doing a grand old job here schere pass us some kitkats! ( ooh have you had the peanut butter kitkats, they are yummm :D :nod: )

[Pensive]

Yeah Scher should be up for the celebration with us even if she thinks it's premature, we might get some kitkats and as we all know it's never too early for the kitkats! :p

[1n50mn14]

I'll be happy when we start pushing for truly equal rights, as opposed to feminists going over-the-top and pushing for more rights than men... there is an equal balance, people! *sigh*

While I agree with Scher in some respects, that there is still much progress to be made and that those of us in North America are particularily lucky, comparatively, I do think celebration of progress so far should be made.

I don't shave my underarms or my legs, because who got to decide that that was the only way those body parts could be aesthetically pleasing? It's really quite silly. However, your personal preference may dictate that yes, YOU do like them shaved. When those are the biggest things that we have to fight against, we are damn lucky. One's self image shouldn't be so bad that one feels pressured into shaving, being skinny, etc. If all we have to worry about is our ego, we are, as previously stated, damn lucky.

[Pensive]

I agree with you Becca in this aspect. Radical feminism doesn't sound better in any way than male chauvinism to me. Inequality amongst genders is not only a deterioration for the gender that is supposedly being oppressed, but the opposite one too. In cultures where men are supposed to be the leading figure, where they have rights as much as to kill their wives, sisters, and other female members, they also have a lot of responsibilities. Sometimes you would have to question yourself who actually is oppressed there....and you might find yourself accepting even if not directly, men are oppressed indirectly. They are supposed to make the first move in everything, they should be the ones to bring home the food, they should be the ones to care for the elder parents, they should be the ones never to cry, they should be the ones never to show their emotions/true feelings, etc.

And yes, I don't think shaving is in any way related to female oppression. It's rather a question of aesthetics. I have always been a hairy one (never ever shaved legs or arms still), I just don't care enough, and have in no way felt as if I am being oppressed because of that.

[Babyguile]

I'll be happy when we start pushing for truly equal rights, as opposed to feminists going over-the-top and pushing for more rights than men... there is an equal balance, people! *sigh*

While I agree with Scher in some respects, that there is still much progress to be made and that those of us in North America are particularily lucky, comparatively, I do think celebration of progress so far should be made.

I don't shave my underarms or my legs, because who got to decide that that was the only way those body parts could be aesthetically pleasing? It's really quite silly. However, your personal preference may dictate that yes, YOU do like them shaved. When those are the biggest things that we have to fight against, we are damn lucky. One's self image shouldn't be so bad that one feels pressured into shaving, being skinny, etc. If all we have to worry about is our ego, we are, as previously stated, damn lucky.

Yes but feminism is not about equality. That was the old wave. The new wave of feminism is more concerned with liberation. Equality assumes that the genders are equal in all respects and they are not. Each are advantaged/disadvantaged and vulnerable in their own respects and to aquire equality between men and women, two very different beings, will lead to eventual discrimination, exploitation and opression, even though the intentions were good.

[Sapphire]

Wow, I didn't know such a day existed! Just wondering: is there also an International Men's Day?

[1n50mn14]

Yes but feminism is not about equality. That was the old wave. The new wave of feminism is more concerned with liberation. Equality assumes that the genders are equal in all respects and they are not. Each are advantaged/disadvantaged and vulnerable in their own respects and to aquire equality between men and women, two very different beings, will lead to eventual discrimination, exploitation and opression, even though the intentions were good.


I agree with this, and no, genders are NOT equal- that is not what I was saying. There are some things that men are better at than women, and vice-versa. But equal RIGHTS should not be questioned. NOBODY, even among females, and among males, is equal to another being. But everybody should have equal rights, male or female. I think males and females should have equal rights to each other, though there are some things that are definitively unequal in ability.

[maraki16]

come on ladies. since it is woman's day, let's just celebrate it, and hope that men will eventually try to treat us nicely every day of the year, and maybe be half as sweet as we are....well, it is a good thing to dream every once in a while ha?:D

[*Classic*Charm*]

I refuse to acknowledge this, black history month or any other of the made up theme days. I will only be celebrating when we as a world have progressed enough societally that there is no need for them anymore

Hear Hear!

[librarius_qui]

It's a very special day for any kind of merchant! Specially flowers & chocolate ... But even books! Since the XIXth century, women are allowed to read (...)

a-ham ... Ay ... I mean, er ... You deserve a day of your own, women! You do! ... :thumbs_up

:crash:

:sick:

(May truth be said? One more future holliday, so, as a seller, I'm not that happy, and, among other things, Rome fell because of such things.)

(Sorry to give a gloomy side of this sort of commemoration, but it's what I -- not Dori, besides the "avatar" .. -- think)

Perhaps if I had a girlfriend, I'd think differently ... :alien:

Besides all this, and apart the criticism on this kind of "society" (economy) we live in, I think women do deserve special honours. Not only a day, as my father say, but always, each moment in life. Well, my father has a girlfriend. For about 37 years, by now ... He probably knows better than I :D

:brickwall
Lq#

[feel free to delete this message ... it's a bit ... spicy.~

Lq#]

[Virgil]

I'm not going to get into the politics of this because frankly I don't care. ;)

I will in my gentlemanly way thank the ladies for their feminine touch here at lit net. (Not sure if that's in the spirit of woman's day, but again I don't care.)

http://img.123greetings.com/eventsnew/emar_womensday_friends/8787-003-21-1047.gif

[The Comedian]

but since when were beauty and shaved legs the words of Jesus? :)

:angel: < < This is me NOT being a barbarian and making some crude, socially unacceptable wise-crack. :angel:

I never knew that there was a women's day. I thought everyday was women's day (it is in my house, at least: I'm the lone male in family of four). In any case, happy women's day to all female lit netters. And, of course, now that I think of it, I think men have plenty of reason to celebrate this day too: after all, the world would be a lot stupider and a more ugly without women (women being better looking and more intelligent than men, I am frequently told).

[librarius_qui]

:angel: < < This is me NOT being a barbarian and making some crude, socially unacceptable wise-crack. :angel:

I never knew that there was a women's day. I thought everyday was women's day (it is in my house, at least: I'm the lone male in family of four). In any case, happy women's day to all female lit netters. And, of course, now that I think of it, I think men of plenty of reason to celebrate this day too: after all, the would would be a lot stupider and a more ugly without women (women being better looking and more intelligent than men, I am frequently told).

:lol: (I imagine ...)
_ :lol:

But I have to agree that

the wo[r]ld would be a lot stupider and a more ugly without women

Women are the beautiful part of life, not only outside.

And it's wonderful to work with women! Much better than working only with men ... If I could, I'd hire one.

I mean it: women think in a different way, and help men, giving easy solutions to problems, good advice ... Some that a man would never think about on their own! (I've experienced this kind of help about twice, in recent days (last week), in which both women -- in different situations -- said exactly the same thing, one never met the other: they said something elementar, that I'd never had thjought of doing, and complemented, saying "I said an obvious thing" ... It was obvious to them :D I'd never have thought of those solutions ... :crash: )

So, good thing that there is woman :rolleyes:


Tim

[Scheherazade]

:D oh wait I just thought isnt the purpose of the day to highlight oppressions as well and raise the profile of women? in which case we are doing a grand old job here schere pass us some kitkats! ( ooh have you had the peanut butter kitkats, they are yummm :D :nod: )


Yeah Scher should be up for the celebration with us even if she thinks it's premature, we might get some kitkats and as we all know it's never too early for the kitkats! :pNot for the Women's Day but just because we all deserve KitKats! :D

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/3466/kitkatn.png (http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kitkatn.png)

[formality hater]

Happy Women's Day!
I got a bit late but who cares, everyday is women's day!;)
I think there is not an official Men's Day yet,Sapphire, but as Pensive puts it, there has to be one(if we believe in equality).

[dramasnot6]

Happy belated Women's Day!
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