Today is International Women’s Day.
It has been observed by the United Nations since 1975 and celebrated by many countries before then. Yet if one looks on social media, many still argue that International Women’s Day should not be celebrated for different reasons. (“Why is this a thing? Why is there an international women’s day but not an international men’s day?”)
But the most compelling reason that even feminists may side with is: why should International Women’s Day be celebrated, when women’s rights should be advocated for every day, not just on March 8th of each year? To this I say yes, women’s rights should be advocated for every day, but that does not mean that we should not dedicate a special day to commemorate it.
As with every other country, Thailand has a long road ahead in the protection of women’s rights. Sex workers–the majority of which are female–remain unprotected by law despite making up a significant portion of Thailand’s income from tourism. During COVID-19, their problems have exacerbated as the government left them behind. Women remain under-represented in politics: although the statistics have risen, women still make up less than 20 percent of politics according to Thailand’s latest Universal Periodic Review report in 2021. Subtle and not-so-subtle sexism remains rampant in Thailand’s social scene, with Thai soap operas regularly normalising rape scenes.
The people who think that International Women’s Day should not be commemorated because every day should be women’s day may mean well, but erasing it does not make every day women’s day nor make people fight more for women’s rights. In fact, it may mean even more people forget about how important–and dire–this cause is because of all of the above situations and more, in Thailand and elsewhere. Speaking ahead of International Women’s Day this year, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that gender equality is “300 years away” according to UN Women’s estimates.
Indeed, International Women’s Day should not be celebrated by helping out your mother do the dishes this one day, but it is a reminder that you should do it every day. That you should stand up to everyday sexism on an individual level, support women in politics and STEM for systemic change, or fight for women’s rights as human rights, pure and simple.
International Women’s Day is a reminder that your mother, your wives, and your daughters may not have the same opportunities as you because of their gender. It is a reminder that someone else’s mother may not be able to leave the house without a male guardian, someone’s unwilling wife is being abused, someone’s daughter could not go to school, or someone’s sister is being forced into sex work.
This is why we need International Women’s Day, and we need it to be celebrated properly: it is not a day for capitalistic lip service and commodified coupon codes, but a day marked by solemn remembrance of the struggles that women have long endured in Thailand and around the world–but also a celebration of the progress we have acheived, and hope of a future towards gender parity. To ignore this day, no matter how good the intentions are, is to unduly diminish the symbolic value of what women have suffered through for centuries.
Until women’s rights are recognised every day; until there is no female genital mutilation, sex trafficking, rape, forced marriages, or acid attacks; until women in all democracies can vote; until little girls can grow up to have same opportunity in science and technology or politics as little boys; until all of this is true, March 8th should remain International Women’s Day. And we should be thankful that it is here.