International Women’s Day
This coming Friday, March 8, just like every other March 8th since the United Nations designated the particular date in 1975, the world observes International Women’s Day. Interestingly, several European countries and the United States deemed the cause worthy of celebrating as far back as 1911.
I’ve recently been reading a fictional series, on Book Three now, about a brilliant and feisty female character. A present day FBI agent fighting modern day crime when, through an “event,” she suddenly finds herself in London, England, in the year 1815.
Not normally a lover of fantastical stories, I got caught up in this one.
Knowing our Bucerias Life in the Slow Lane was planning to feature articles from various participants this week (thank you, all), my interest was piqued and I found, while lost in the book, that I paid special attention to the now archaic ways of those olden days. The treatment of females, meant to be oh, so proper, is for me, a bit difficult to imagine.
The leading heroine is not “allowed” to be outside of her home without a chaperone; women are not “allowed” to own property; wives are “owned” by their husbands, and can easily be placed in a special home for unruly women, where they would likely be exposed to or used in some type of behavioural experiment; and, women had certainly not been “granted” the right to vote, not until 1928, in Merry Old England.
Sadly, some of this still holds true for too many of our world’s nations.
As the global population continues to champion human rights and equality among all, let us celebrate all those who have made and will make strides to take females from then until now. And beyond.
We hope you enjoy our series this week, and we sincerely thank our guest columnists for their time and truly epic thoughts.
I’d like to introduce Cheryl, our long time friend. Cheryl moved to Canada at the age of twenty from the beautiful island of Dominica. Today she is retired from the world of finance and enjoys her time travelling, swimming and playing tennis, among other recreational and community activities. Cheryl is a wife, mother and dear friend.
“I am the beneficiary of all the women who have struggled in the past to allow me the privilege of being who I am today.
I am strong, independent, confident and opinionated without being aggressive. I can tell anyone “No,” and not be threatened by my decision. I discovered early on that saying No is a very powerful feeling and a harder decision to say than Yes.
On International Women’s Day, I thank, to name a few, Dame Mary Eugenia Charles – the First Lady Prime Minister of Dominica, Margaret Thatcher – The Iron Lady, Indira Gandhi, Jacinda Arden…female politicians who made a difference. Women get the job done!
Gloria Steinem said, “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.”
Cheryl Willms
