By Mary Eileen Williams, Founder
Feisty Side of Fifty
There’s no official vacation day, very little media coverage, and you won’t even find it on the calendar—but this holiday commemorates a movement that’s made a huge impact on our lives both personally and professionally. March 8th is International Women’s History Day. Even more, it marks the 100th anniversary of the acknowledgment that women, too, made and continue to make contributions to the progress of society.
So why isn’t there more publicity? Doesn’t this day deserve at least as much fanfare as the Super Bowl, Halloween, or even Groundhog Day? Apparently not! This lack of mention is not only distressing; it’s one more instance of the devaluation of women that’s gone on since recorded time. And I, for one, wish the Great Goddess was still around to kick a little butt!
But since her return isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, let’s launch a fitting celebration of the holiday and commence some butt kicking of our own. Tell your friends and neighbors, inform your coworkers and clients, and even shout it from the rooftops: “We are women—we still roar—and we gals have a proud and rich history of our own.”
Suzanne Braun Levine, former editor of Ms. magazine and author of numerous books on women’s issues, shared an insider’s perspective on International Women’s History Day in our interview on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. If you ever wanted to feel pride in your gender’s history, be sure to give this a listen. (I promise, it’ll be well worth your time.)
Then take this feeling one step further and share your thoughts on the unsung contributions of women over the years. As evidenced by a recent article in The New York Times entitled Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia’s Contributor List, women tend not to toot our own historical horn. This is a huge mistake because history reflects those who write it. So stake your claim, be proud of your accomplishments, and make your voices heard. Check out sites like The Women’s Media Center, Women For Women, and Feminist.com. Contribute your thoughts to Wikipedia, start a blog, begin a women’s group.
Whichever means you choose to employ, be sure to speak up and speak out. That’s the only way future generations will know the truth about the remarkable strides we boomers have made. Perhaps the greatest contribution we can claim as a generation is our passion to ensure equal rights to all people—regardless of race or gender. Don’t let this noble mission get lost in the mists of time or be relegated to the sidelines of the past like an unremarkable afterthought.
Now, more than ever before, we boomers are called to rewrite history. This time, however, it is in service to our own HERstory. So let’s get busy: we’ve got to write, post, and speak our truth whenever and wherever we can. That’s the only way we’re certain to go down in the annals of time as the feisty and fabulous generation of women we are—and that fitting reference should please even the Great Goddess herself!