March 8th, one of the most exciting days of my year.
As I got dressed this morning (into a dress, not jeans!), I thought of other women getting dressed. Bodies slipping limbs through holes in clothing, covering, protecting and comforting. Through happy and confused tears, I felt so lucky to be in a warm home, freshly showered, having the privilege of time to let the weight of the vulnerability and power of women's bodies press into me. Because of the hard work of the women and men allies before me, I can clothe myself, feed myself, and ride my bike to a breakfast at Parliament Hill... myself!
Every year, the NDP hosts a breakfast on March 8th. As my friend, Richa, pointed out, it's nice to see this event happening in the same building where decisions are made to take our funding away. The taste of subversion was in the air today. This year, hosted by Irene Mathyssen, the speakers included the prolific Nobel Laureate, Jody Williams and the eloquent and stunning women's rights activist, Erin Williams. In entirely different styles, both gave captivating, stimulating, hilarious accounts of what it means to be a fighter for justice that left me filled with pride and anger.
Jody captured my confusion beautifully this morning: why are we still asking men, other human beings, for permission to be equal? At its most basic, inequality is rampant and somehow covert. Just let the fact that there has never been a woman President of the United States smack you in the face for a second. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A WOMAN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. SMACK!
Much of today is about sharing facts that incite anger. This is very important, as eyes are on the status of women and women's issues today, and it is crucial that we take this opportunity to highlight the work that needs to be done. In Ottawa, for example, eight women a day are sexually assaulted and one will report. In this country and all over the world, women are being sexually assaulted, mutilated and killed because they are women. Don't let "REAL" women of Canada fool you. There is A LOT of work to be done.
The future seems daunting, especially given the erosion of rights in the past five years under this government, but it's not all bleak. Everyday I have the great honour of feeling the solidarity of women in my life, and I witness the exciting work of young feminist activists across political lines. We're not dropping the torch of the wavers before us. This morning I felt the incredible support of our allies when I squeezed Jeremy's hand at the Women's Day breakfast, when I got a text from my uncle in Vancouver wishing me a great IWD, when my man friends Sascha, Zac and Scott 'liked' my IWD facebook status, and when Josh, my barista, pushed my complimentary tea across the counter with a jovial "yay, women!"
So for now, I'm taking this moment, with my green tea and the sun streaming through the window of this cafe, to wish you all a day of happiness, solidarity and celebration. We have come a long way and there is reason to be hopeful that we can make as many strides in the next 100 years. Happy March 8th! Here's an article for your morning beverage :)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/in-much-of-the-world-gains-in-womens-rights-elude-a-silent-majority/article1933117/singlepage/#articlecontent
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