Beyond the commodification of Women's Day

The commodification of Women's Day is plainly seen in the veneering of superficial gifts & gestures reinforced by the interconnectedness of social media.

The mainstream reality of Women's Day is repurposed like a shiny product that overshadows the hollow underbelly of the myriad of issues that this day is memorialised for.

It is important to remember that even though there's nothing wrong with showing appreciation through gestures, this day is not about pressuring men and others to gratify women by showering them with gifts.

This day should be characterised by awareness & undertakings by everyone alike to create systemic change in our patriarchal society. It's a reminder to maintain this zeal for equality 'throughout the year'.

The Eighth of March every year is a conflicting symbol that represents the everyday reality and oppression of women in private and in public.

It is Women's day even when the sun goes down, it is women's day even when the doors are closed.

Femininity is magic. It is gentleness, it is strength and grace. It is intellect and it is beauty. We have to let go of this conventional idea of femininity associated with just womanhood and women. Femininity does not mean weakness or fragility or just sensuality, It is in all of us and by 'embracing it' makes us whole. 

There has to be a balance between our masculinity and femininity.

It is daunting to witness masculinity being considered synonymous with virility, anger, vigour and toughness.Women are labelled "masculine" when they don't conform to the role assigned to them by the patriarchy. Hence, traits like strength, willpower, freedom and robustness are attributed to men yet given a negative connotation when found in women.

When you are not in touch with your femininity, you lead to extreme masculinity where you burn witches, fight wars and crave power. 

The truth is that these traits are arbitrary, and don't belong to genders.

People regardless of their gender or sexuality should be able to freely explore their femininity and masculinity. Feminism is not a competition. The war is against a system of oppression that causes multitudes of imbalances within society. The burden of these flaws falls almost entirely upon women. As bell hooks emphasized, "feminism is for everybody". Intersectionality allows us to witness feminism from all perspectives like that of queer women, trans women, and women working in male-dominated industries.

Women's Day cannot be conditional. Feminism is not exclusively for women. It is for everyone; including the traumatized, the abused, the ones working in the sex industry, the trans, the queer and those that belong to ethnic and/or racial minority groups.It is a state that is beyond your gender for greater austerity, and unless you become half of the other gender, the other half will continue to become independent.

It is a manifestation of Masculinity and Feminity. It is not just women; it is also the men that are in touch with their feminity. It is an everyday issue. It is a process of finding the other half in you. Therefore It is not women's day unless ALL PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE are seated at the round table.