International Women's Day 2008

Happy International Women's Day 2008. Hope it's a great day for women and men.

In a perfect world, there would be no international women's day. There would be no need. And the old argument of "what are you moaning about, you've got rights now, man hating humourless feminist bitch" would just fall away. But, we don't live in that world.

We have Sean Connery, saying it's OK to smack your bitch up



The Washington Post just published its perennial women are dumb article. This article has both the denial of the rape crisis and the "sluts deserve it" attitude. Check out the history of IWD. Sexism hurts everyone. Really. Feminists are not man-hating bitches.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, discusses institutionalised discrimination in her press release today. Go read it all.

GENEVA (OHCHR) – Laws that discriminate against women are still to be found on the statute books of virtually every country in the world, and repeated promises by states to revise or repeal them are not being honoured, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said Friday.

Arbour... said a newly released report commissioned by OHCHR shows that “the effects of this failure to create true legal parity between men and women in all sorts of social, economic and political arenas is having a detrimental effect on women in many countries – sometimes to a devastating degree.”

Perhaps the most pernicious and dangerous discrimination involves sexual abuse that is not recognized as such under a country’s laws, or is in effect tolerated by legislation that is either vague or not enforced. “Rape is recognized as a crime in most legal systems,” said Arbour.

“But, even when it is, inadequate legislation or local traditions often mean laws are not properly enforced. In addition, at least 53 states still do not outlaw rape within marriage, and men frequently enjoy total impunity for physical as well as sexual violence against their wives.”...

“Many states appear to have simply ignored the commitments they have made,” Arbour said. “It is shameful that, in the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, fundamental rights are still not enjoyed by many women around the world. In some cases, they suffer from multiple forms of discrimination, such as race, age or disabilities as well as their gender. Unless states take their commitments seriously, investing in women and girls will remain a matter of rhetoric.”

Don't stand for discrimination on gender, sexism, sexual assault or violence against women. Stand up. Be counted. Make sure your voice is heard. All genders have this responsibility as citizens of the world.