According to the International Women's Day website, IWD is celebrated across the globe in recognition of the economic, political and social achievements of women throughout history. Awesome! How could I have missed this?! I think a holiday like this really reminds us of the continued vigilance and political/economic/social involvement and action necessary to maintain and ensure the rights of women in every aspect of life. I thought it was important to write a quick post about IWD because its mission is somewhat similar to the topic of this blog. International Women's Day is about creating a special day to recognize all the challenges women have faced throughout history, to consider our achievements and contributions to society, to honor us for the hard work we have done, and to remind us to continue our progress. This blog is about examining popular discourse and the current cultural climate with a critical eye and consider the impact of the portrayal and representation of women. My goal is to use this blog to celebrate the individual identities of women, since so much of what we see on a regular basis is more about homogenizing and shaping women's identities. I think all women need to be doing this everyday! When they read the newspaper, watch television, glance at billboards, go grocery shopping, etc. International Women's Day is just once a year, but I think its really important for all women to constantly be aware of their surroundings, conditions, rights, treatment, roles, opportunities, status, etc. Constantly being aware of these factors and considering what it all means for women in the long run is the only way to achieve continued progress and development of the Womens Movement.
So I'm going to celebrate International Women's Day by posing these questions about female identity and the media!
- What are the motives behind this advertisement or article?
- What are you being sold?
- Who is this article written for?
- What messages does it send to women (and men?!)?
- What lessons do young girls learn from this portrayal of their peers?
- Is this a healthy reflection of appropriate roles for young girls?
- How does an ad like this make you feel?
- Is your physical appearance more important than your earning potential?
These examples from About-Face.org are just a small sample of the stuff in our daily lives that relates to the portrayal of women's identities and roles in society. Should we let this stuff dictate to us who we should be, what we should like, what we should buy, how we should feel???! I think not! Everyday must be Awareness and Critique of the Portrayal of Women in the Media Day!!!! Yay! Now go celebrate!
