March 8th marks International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is connected to over a century of feminist protest, action, and activism. From women’s right to vote to anti-war, and anti-Imperialist action, women have mobilized in different contexts with calls for inclusion and representation.
In 1975, March 8th was designated as International Women’s Day by the United Nations (UN). Since that time, the recognition of gender as a social construct comes from the work and analysis from feminist and queer activists. Gender influences everyone’s social, cultural, economic, and political position, and inequities result.
While this important feminist work might cause one to think that feminism is unified and monolithic, it is anything but. Feminist writer and scholar Dr. Roxanne Gay reminds us that feminism is plural. Women live, work, and play in different contexts, and as a result, there are myriad of feminisms to be articulated. Shouldn’t we be celebrating this plurality? And challenging systems of power to restore balance?
