I’m sure most of you digital natives scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook yesterday noticed a trending hashtag for #InternationalWomensDay. No, this isn’t just another random Holiday like #NationalCheeseburgerDay; it’s a legitimate stride towards gender equality in the home, in the work force, and anywhere else we may find ourselves.
The Website for International Women’s Day goes more in depth of what it’s for- but a quote by activist Gloria Steinem sums it up in my favorite way, “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”
Collective efforts: not just women, not just activists, not just someone who wants a promotion. Collectively, as human beings, gender equality should be a basic human right.
The day after seeing all the Instagram posts and tweets, the various campaigns (my favorite- #NotThere), and the general comments about gender equality, really has me wondering. Why is this just one day? Why are we, as women, not campaigning to achieve greater success in every aspect of our lives, continuously?
Before any of you take this the wrong way- I do recognize women who are successful and striving to break through barriers. But as a Forbes article suggests, 2015 can be a great year for women- as long as we set out for it to be.
As I near the end of my college career and start to plan for my post-grad life, I can’t wait to treat everyday as International Women’s Day and recognize, but defeat, gender inequality. I can’t do it alone- so who’s along for the ride? It’s 2015, so let’s act like it!
Jennifer Monacelli 