The existence of an International Men’s Day on November 19 might not be as widely recognized as some would think. This day is not being advocated for purely due to achieving gender equality or the assumption that women’s rights have reached an equal standing with men’s rights. The critique arises from the perception of International Women’s Day as being superficial and insincere, filled with token gestures and devoid of real impact.
Despite ongoing societal challenges where women face violence and discrimination, the approach to International Women’s Day often falls short of meaningful action. The event sometimes devolves into performative gestures like baking cakes or delivering inspirational speeches, failing to address the systemic issues that affect women’s lives daily.
In the UK, gender disparities remain evident in various aspects of society, such as the underrepresentation of women in top corporate positions and the persistence of a gender pay gap that widens as women progress in their careers. Other issues like student loan interest charges during maternity and paternity leave further compound these challenges, particularly impacting women in the workforce.
Amidst these realities, the focus on International Women’s Day can feel trivialized by superficial themes like ‘Give to Gain,’ which lack substantive engagement with the issues at hand. The use of generic themes and symbolic gestures, like hand-holding images on the official International Women’s Day website, can seem disconnected from the urgent need for concrete actions to address gender inequality.
Instead of symbolic gestures, the call for International Women’s Day should be about advocating for tangible changes, such as closing the gender pay gap, promoting gender equity in career advancement, and improving maternity and paternity benefits. These fundamental changes would have a lasting impact on women’s lives beyond the symbolic celebrations of a single day.
Addressing the root causes of gender inequality requires more than token gestures or superficial themes. It demands a commitment to structural change and tangible support for women’s rights and empowerment. By shifting the focus from symbolic gestures to substantive actions, International Women’s Day can become a platform for meaningful progress and genuine change in society.
