58
59
THE ALLEYNIAN 709
OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
International Women’s Day was celebrated at Dulwich College for the first time this year. Here, Fred Edenborough (Year 11) considers the past, present and possible future of women’s equality
Leon Trotsky, a communist theorist at the start of the 20th century, once said that ‘to alter the position of women at the root is possible only if all the conditions of social, family and domestic existence are altered’. The idea of ‘the root’, I think, is interesting – in particular because of its relevance to the idea of an ‘International’ Women’s Day. Because Trotsky is making a deeper point: the words ‘the root’ show that our rights should be equal, no matter our gender or our background. You would think the concept of ‘the root’ entails a basic education. The right to wear whichever clothes you want. Listen to whatever music you want to. But this is not the case. Many women are bound, trapped by domestic duties, trafficked and married off in their early teens. If 12 years of education were given to every girl who didn’t already have access to it, there would be a 64% drop in child marriage. One particular case that struck me was that of a Pakistani girl, Najilaa (14), due to be married. She fled from home (in her wedding dress) when she saw the chances of an education disappearing. It is in countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan that the work of International Women’s Day is still so important, where there are many women being held back and forced to commit shockingly desperate acts to escape from their lives; as Malala Yousafzai has said, the aim is for women to have ‘every opportunity a boy would have’. The struggles of these young women are accentuated by conflict and war, political instability and extreme religious boundaries; the struggle to make sure their voices are heard is in jeopardy due to lack of adequate attention given to these stories by the Western media. I am assuming everyone knows the story of Malala – she is an inspiring example of having the bravery to use your voice and experience to effect change. In a time when fighting for women’s equality and emancipation is mostly being waged online, this year’s theme, #ChooseToChallenge, is particularly significant. The impact of International Women’s Day is widespread: they organise fundraisers, political rallies, attend conferences and tap into various networking events, such as theatre and parades, to maximise the extent of their influence. In over 25 countries, International Women’s Day is a holiday, an occasion on which family members will give gifts to other female friends and family – but it is also vital to remember that it isn’t simply something that can be commemorated once a year and then forgotten for 364 days. While some of the younger generation in the Western world may feel battles have been won, there are still deeply problematic issues that won’t simply vanish overnight – the violence women experience, the higher level of pay their male equivalents receive in the workplace, the lack of women receiving an education, and the bias within politics (with Britain ranking 48th in the world in terms of female parliamentarians, 2015, showing that
only 29.4% of the people ‘who hold all the cards’ were women). Indeed, the visibility of prominent female figures in the public eye can make you believe that there has truly been a real change. But unfortunately, as older feminists will know, the complex layers of an embedded prejudice against women and the effect of the patriarchy are much more difficult to uproot. Vitally, as Trotsky also points out, systemic change can only be achieved through altering the views of those we live, work and play with. In line with the heightened awareness and increased importance of listening to those who have experienced and encountered harassment or abuse, International Women’s Day aims to challenge in a co-operative way – to discuss and debate with integrity. It is essential that we understand, however irrelevant it may seem to you or those you know, that the beginnings of a positive change in thinking about women’s wellbeing can only be undertaken by you – ‘think globally, act locally’. Our rights should be equal, nomatter our gender, our background “
International Women’s Day
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online