How To Talk To Your Partner About International Women's Day If They're Not Woke
If you're a feminist (which, y'know, you should be) who dates men, you want a boyfriend who is equally as passionate about equal rights as you are. If he writes off the women's movement because he thinks things are "equal" nowadays, you can simply point to the current political administration to show how untrue that is. Women have been fighting for equality for a long time, and one of the ways in which that's demonstrated is through International Women's Day (IWD). It dates back to 1909, and is commemorated annually on March 8 as a day to recognize the women's movement. So you might want to explain International Women's Day to your boyfriend, as well as why it's observed, to loop him into the 21st century.
The call for a day dedicated to women began in 1909, when women were outraged over wage inequality, their inability to vote, and more. Thousands of women protested in New York City, according to the United Nations website. The annual march spread internationally by 1911, being observed in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Austria.
"With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality," the International Women's Day website reads. "The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally, women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men."
So to your boyfriend that's a little woke-lacking, here are some things he can do to educate himself as International Women's Day comes closer.
Read Up On Gender Parity Reports.
For the data-driven boyfriend who loves numbers, he can read up on reports that show hard numbers on gender parity. The World Economic Forum releases an annual report titled, "The Global Gender Gap Report" that surveys 144 countries on economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. (On this list, by the way, the United States' global rank is 49. Yikes.) He can read up on the 2017 report here.
Talk To Women From Different Backgrounds And Ask About Their Experiences As Women.
If your boyfriend thinks women have it so great on the equality front, maybe he's not talking to enough of them about their actual experiences. Encourage him to broaden his circle, especially if his standard group of friends lacks women of color and trans women. Talking to women of various backgrounds will enlighten him on things they actually live through, like being paid less than men are and experiencing everyday forms of harassment while walking to school and work. These are things that men never have to experience themselves, so taking it from women who do might help broaden his perspective.
Consume Movies That Include Women Protagonists.
If his perspective of the world is reinforced solely through media that centers men as the viewer, he has some serious homework to get to. This list from IMDb is a good place to start: It focuses on LGBTQ+ women, women around the world, and tackles issues they have to face in their daily lives.
To go from uneducated or ignorant to "woke" definitely takes effort, but if your boyfriend puts in the time with activities such as these, he is well on his way to becoming an actual feminist.
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