International Women's Day 2016

Perhaps it is because just about everything on the planet can make me cry, but International Women’s Day has always been a very emotional March 8th for me. Tears of both sadness and joy have fought their way down my cheeks today. Sorrow for all of the women not here with us - 2015 was the year of Sandra Bland’s death, a reminder that racism still threatens the life of every woman of color; the seventieth anniversary of the end of World War II which prompted much of the anti semitism that still impacts Jewish women; a year countless acts of misogyny made headlines and hurt lives. 2015 was also the year of feminism gaining more media and serious coverage; the year Saudi Arabian women gained the right to vote; a time where more and more people have felt comfortable with the term ‘feminist’.

Today, I am thinking of my feminist heroes. The poet Sylvia Plath, the activist Malala Yousafzai, suffragette Emily Davison, my mother. I am considering the way these people would feel about my feminism, since I know that there is no way to be the perfect person and no need to ever stop learning and striving for greatness. So, I’ve constructed a list of ‘resolutions’ or goals for this year, ways to become a better educated and more loving feminist. I definitely suggest making your own list if you’ve been inspired!

Do not ‘drag’ to educate. People will not want to learn about our cause if they feel like they are being treated maliciously.

Even if you don’t agree with someone, do not try to silence them. On a talk about “liberal students that want to be coddled, President Obama recently said “that is not the way we learn”. It’s true!

Keep learning about women from all over the world. Do not be intimidated by experiences you cannot directly relate to; do not let the fact that they are different make you feel as though they are less important.

Do more with your feminism outside of the internet! Do more volunteering and spreading of our message irl.

Speak out for the silenced, always.

Don’t feel guilty when fighting for anyone besides yourself becomes too difficult, or if things become too upsetting for a while. You may always be a fighter, but you do not always need to be fighting.