Today marks the worldwide celebration of women, those around us, the one’s in our lives and even those who don’t directly affect us but serve as an inspiration for millions! We cheer for those who have worked tirelessly to bring us this close to the threshold of equality. However, true equality can only be achieved when everyone realizes the need for a more level playing ground and an initiation of this realization lies in celebrating Women’s Day.
Now, there’s no set guide for how to celebrate women or Women’s Day at large for that matter, but we bring you guided ways of how NOT to do a Women’s Day campaign-
1. Do not take suggestions from men for a campaign about Women’s Day
Here’s a suggestion, let’s ask women how women would like to celebrate women’s day instead of just assuming. Sure, gifts and sweet gestures can never go amiss but it’s always better to be heard and seen rather than be treated as someone to be impressed for just a day. So next time you plan on organizing something for women’s day, ask those of our species, how they would like to be celebrated.
2. Strictly do not point women to the kitchen
A certain fast-food chain needs to take notes that you simply do not point women towards the kitchen. Ever. Period. We have had enough of women being told where they belong and on top of that, insinuating that they belong in the kitchen is plain poor. If anything, we all belong in the kitchen, it’s where all the food is. Now one might say that the ‘joke’ is old and stale, but hey, so is the notion that women belong in the kitchen.
3. Kindly do not insinuate that there is a right type of clothes for a walk after dark
As if clothing brands are not inconsiderate enough, they also feel the need to label clothes safe and unsafe apparently. Sainsbury decided to contribute something to the society with their campaign ‘walks in the park after dark’ for a new line of clothes to wear for a night stroll. But how can anyone label clothes as safe or unsafe? This again serves to the idea that clothes are the determining factors when it comes to what all is wrong with the society.
4. Don’t campaign that Men’s Day should be celebrated with just as much vigor, especially on Women’s Day
A concept that is hard to grasp is why do people feel the need to actively and hurriedly propagate the need to celebrate Men’s Day only on Women’s Day? We wholeheartedly agree that men and women are equally worthy of being celebrated and that’s why we have a separate day to celebrate men. However men on internet seem to have omitted that information while rallying for a day to celebrate their very visible hold on the society.
5. For God’s sake, do not convert a male serial killer character into a woman serial killer character!
We support women’s rights but what about women’s wrongs? In a bizarre incident, London Dungeon decided to rename Jack the Ripper, a gruesome serial killer, as Jackie the Ripper, as a part of their Women’s Day campaign. Like???
6. Please do not point out what supposedly needs fixing in our bodies
In an equally bizarre incident, Lumenis rolled out a campaign seemingly offering women a treatment for stretch marks. And obviously, all women need above the crushing weight of societal expectations is companies shoving capitalism down their throats, offering remedies to problems that don’t even exist!
7. Never try to reason that if women want to be at par with men then they don’t need a day solely dedicated to them
Because brave of you to assume that years and years of patriarchy and no rights can be undone by celebrating a singular day but by all means, revel in the delusion. Women want equality and Women’s Day is a huge instrument for that but we are pretty sure they want to be celebrated just as much on other days. What’s your excuse now?
We should celebrate women and womanhood all year long, everyday, for posterity but assuring them equal rights will be a good way to start!