The Lancaster University Feminist Society celebrated the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, Week Eight.
“International Women’s Day is important because it is a celebration of women. It is a time to be proud of being a woman and to thank those women who have inspired us” explained Lowri Jones, Feminist Society Publicity Officer. “Taking a moment to consider women’s achievements, both in the struggle for equality and in a myriad of other areas, not only recognizes what has come before but spurs women to reach even higher. It is also important in considering the strides we have still yet to make and the ways in which we are not yet equal. There is still work to be done, even more so in countries outside our own.”
The society organised a number of events in order to celebrate the day. A display of women writers has been set up in the library and posters of inspirational women were put up around campus as part of a campaign to remind students of the historical achievements of women.
Lowri Jones continued, “For our poster campaign we have chosen some well known women, but also many that most people will not have heard of. Nonetheless, they have been enormously influential in shaping our lives today, for instance Dorothy Hodgkin, Mary Wollstonecraft and Simone de Beauvoir. The posters are of women from a variety of different professions, backgrounds and time periods. This is to highlight the sheer scope of the influence that women have had in shaping the world that may go by unseen.”
Some feel that a day in celebration of women is an attack on men, or at the very least an event that men are excluded from. However, the Feminist Society are keen to point out this is not the case: “This is not to paint all women as victims, or all men as oppressors,” said Jones. “Simply by taking part in Women’s Day, we are celebrating women’s contributions to society and what it is to be a woman. Remembering to question gender assumptions, joining in a debate, signing a petition, or just pausing to appreciate the difference women make to our own lives, we are all taking part in International Women’s Day. And yes, men are invited! Equality is only ever going to be achieved if we all pull together and see how it can benefit us all. International Women’s Day is an important part of that.”
