Today is International Women’s Day, which celebrates the lives and achievements of women around the world. So today – and every day – I am celebrating all the amazing, inspiring and wonderful women in my life. Women I know and love. Women who have an impact on my life every day of every week of every year.
I am celebrating my strong and determined mother.
I am celebrating my talented, witty and intelligent sister.
I am celebrating my younger female friends, who approach living with an awe-inspiring passion, joy and strength.
I am celebrating my older female friends, some of whom may be retired but who most certainly are not retiring in their zest for life.
I am celebrating all the female artists, writers, poets, film-makers, musicians and DJs I know – all of whom fill my life with art and music and inspiration.
I am celebrating all the women I know who are activists; women who are not afraid to stand up and make their voices heard, who are not afraid to fight for what they believe in, who have marched, taken action and been kettled alongside me.
I am celebrating the women I know who work in offices, shops, schools, colleges, universities and other places; the unsung heroines who keep everyday life functioning.
I am celebrating the women I know who commit themselves to childcare; women who care for their own and other women’s children.
I am celebrating the women I know who are mothers – and daughters.
I am celebrating all the women I am proud to name as friend, whoever they are and wherever they are.
However, I believe that celebrating women and our achievements is actually something that we should do every day. International Women’s Day will remain of importance as a means of raising the visibility of women’s rights as long as inequality continues to exist – but while governments and others persist in patting themselves on the back over visibly celebrating a ‘special day’ once a year for what is still a continually marginalised – and oppressed – part of society (and a bloody large part, at that), we need to stay vocal and keep right on celebrating the amazing things that women have done (and continue to do) tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, and the next….
Another Kind Of Mind 
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empowering,liberating and awakening creativity, thanks for this post
Thank you, glad you enjoyed reading it – hopefully as much as I enjoyed writing about the women who empower and inspire me.
Quite. Like we’re supposed to be grateful or impressed by David Cameron waiting until today to announce his “commitment to signing” the Council of Europe’s convention on violence against women. Er, 18 countries have already signed it, Turkey’s already ratified it, just get on with it and quit the political posturing!
Absolutely. I get so irate about the way that politicians like David Cameron think it’s sufficient to smugly recite platitudes about women on one day every year – and then for the rest of the time act like they couldn’t give a damn about us. It’s particularly galling when you consider the simple fact that Cameron’s cuts are having a disproportionate effect on women’s lives too…