How should you celebrate International Women’s Day?
1. Call your mother, sister, daughter, mentor, hero or friend.
2. Donate to V-Day and end violence against women and girls.
3. Read amazing literature written by women. I suggest Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath and Hayden Herrera (who wrote the biography of Frida Kahlo.)
4. Look at photos of your feminist heroes. Be inspired. Example:
The young man standing on the far left in the suit is Frida Kahlo. She liked to wear mens clothes sometimes. Pretty brave for a 20 year-old Mexican woman in the early 1930's.
5. Break up with your shitty boyfriend.
6. Wear a dress. Feel grateful that you’re wearing it by choice. Some women’s aren’t so lucky.
7. Stand up for what you believe in. Don’t want to have babies? Don’t believe in marriage? Support LGBT rights? Say it. Out loud. To other people.
8. Masturbate
9. Rent a movie with a strong female lead. Feel angry that there are only like 5 of them.
10. Look into gender politics in your area. Find out about your abortion, sexual health and birth control rights. These things matter.
11. Look into the rights of women in other countries. The Congo is a good place to start. Read Nicholas Kristof’s articles. Here’s a good one on reproductive rights in Texas. Excerpt:
“The state of Texas is waging war on women and their families,” Dr. Boyd added. “The new law is demeaning and disrespectful to the women of Texas, and insulting to the doctors and nurses who care for them.”
12. Get mad. Get PISSED. Then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Donate. Write a blog post. Petition your local government. Volunteer at a women’s shelter. Mentor a girl. Stop watching reality TV. Take off your makeup. Refuse to be silent.
13. Be kind. Be brave. Be strong.
