Tuesday 8 March 2011

Happy International Women’s day

What’s that you say? International women’s day? A day of general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women and celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements.

In Algeria this day is celebrated like a national holiday…Ah that’s right it is in fact a national holiday, working women get half day holiday and gifts and flowers are bestowed upon them at work.

Festivities everywhere “Bonne fete Madame” you hear, coffees are offered free, women are dressed up in their best matching outfits and men on their best behaviour, making sure they wish all passing women a happy women’s day enjoying the fact that women are in such a good mood being fussed over they can’t not answer such a greeting, thus giving them (men) an excuse to pester them (women).

In Europe and the rest of the world, it’s just another day in the office, nobody has even heard of this, no flowers in the office or free coffees at Starbucks. I am left with questions why? How can a nation that is so “reverential” of women does not mark the International day of women.

I guess it is because to a cetain extent it's women’s day everyday here (not literally), whereas in developing cultures, women are shafted, treated as second class citizens and bullied all year around and so when women’s day arrives, they (men) feel guilty and in an attempt to wipe clean the years’ misdoings they celebrate the women for half a day, of course its straight back to normal the next day and until the next womens day in 2012.
Also probably worth knowing that most of the nations that partake in these celebrations are ex communist, socialite countries, other western cultures don’t feel they have to give the women a special day and this for me asserts our gender equality.

The hypocrisy of this day knows no bound; to start the gifts bestowed on the women of Algeria consist mainly of gender specific equipment such as home making and kitchen utensils for baking and blending as if women shouldn’t have any other hobbies but baking and kitchen related activities, furthermore if a woman is respected in a society she would not need a special day however nice that might be.

I find the whole concept condescending, sexist and chauvinistic as though men are throwing us a bone for all the efforts we did or just to keep us off their backs.

So gentlemen; take your special woman’s day and shove it.

29 comments:

  1. consumerism marketing (go and spend some money) bullshit :P

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  2. Yea a bit like Valentines day

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  3. "whereas in the more developing cultures, women are shafted"

    did you mean "less developing cultures" or are you kidding?

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  4. The word to describe "less developed countries" is developing. perhaps its misleading, I shall remove the word "more"

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  5. so what's the latest hanouna? (can you tell am bored? :p)

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  6. Nothing much david! Try to entertain urself until the next installement :)
    Coming soon....

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  7. haha you're funny - i am, playing some bass

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  8. So you're a musician of some sort?

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  9. musicien en herbe, it's more of a hobby than anything else.

    trying to play this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cCw1eHEL2A

    would be awesome for a train journey on a rainy day gazing at the green landscapes while reminiscing some past memories

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  10. I am not that romantic but I see the appeal ;) great tune if you can master it dawood.

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  11. where/when did i mention romance? it's more about introspection and maybe some life images scrolling through one's head. that's my take on it anyway.

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  12. Sorry dw it sounded romantic

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  13. don't be so polite :p .

    music is subjective, could be that the chemical make-up of your brain at the time of your listening was geared towards some romantic meanderings.

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  14. Anyone else thinks Tonton DW and Dz-Chick should get a room? Just kidding :p

    Speaking of Music...I read this quote the other day 'Music is what feelings would sound like'... I guess it explained maybe why you assumed he was implying romance..;)

    Anyways, about Women's day I definitely do agree that it's kinda lame...yet, I was glad to receive Red Roses and chocolate from my Russian colleague last week :) Apparently March 8th is a Very big deal in Russia too!

    Keep'em coming Dz-Chick...I'm getting addicted to your blog, so I hope you have much more coming up! :)

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  15. Yes all ex communiste nations recognise the day as stated above.

    I of course received nothing.

    Yasmine: please submit your comment once, I am getting the same comment 6 times, all comments are moderated/read before I submit them, not for censorship but to protect my identity (in case someone posts my name or says something so obviously leading to me directly) and also to monitor the comments content(not pornographic etc...)

    Also, thank you for reading and commenting - I am not feeling very motivated or inspired today...so no new entries today!

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  16. @yasmine: pervert ;p

    @dzc: "i of course received nothing" - nothing better than a bit of a (complaining) contradictory statement negating a whole post's worth of discussion.

    you can't have your cake and eat it too ... or so they say.

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  17. I take your point tonton dw but I had to just wrote a whole blog about it, I ddint want to repeat myself, its for your "readers" to take up the comment and answer Yasmine - should you feel like it.

    And yes yes am negative...:P

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  18. is it me or is your comment all over the place?

    as smart as i am, i'm having trouble to decode lol

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  19. lol I just saw it...it doesnt make any sense! am sooo busy at work but the comments have to be answered!

    @ smart as you are! nothing better than a self paid compliment.

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  20. pot calling the kettle black> in most posts & related comments, there's at least a mention of how intelligent and/or fit you are.

    that's what people keep telling me so i've started believing it too lol

    anyway, am done with self-deprecating statements and modesty. bring on the self-love.

    and i thought women could actually multitask - disappointing

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  21. i was expecting some comeback ...

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  22. Bossy boots! Can't deny the facts Tonton dw, if I am I am...why wait for compliments!

    I am the queen of multitasking, but the tasks wont be flawless :)

    I am just finishing my next blog entry...I feel I peacked too soon this month! ran out of things to talk about and its not even mid-march.

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  23. this month? you've already peaked for the year lol

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  24. Yeah perhaps you're right...but readers come back to read more and I have to give more!! my next one is full of questions...you might enjoy!

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  25. so what's for lunch? chicken salad?

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  26. Batata...jacket batata
    Blog posted...

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  27. Happy Women's day! Have a cake tin!

    Hah hah ha!

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  28. " Je suis heureuse car je n'attends rien de personne " le mot du 8 mars et du reste de l'année d'ailleurs ^^

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  29. We do learn everyday....I was unaware that Women's Day was celebrated in such a way in Algeria.

    As you rightly stated, Algerian women will benefit greatly by being respected all year around and Women's day not being celebrated at all.
    I have heard on numerous occasions, Muslim men (irrelevant of their country of origin) claim that the UK was a 'women' nation, in other word favourable to women. Evidently the statement is always made in a disgusted tone of voice, are these dimwits aware that a woman carried them for 9 months, gave birth to them and nurture them?

    The celebration of Women's Day in Algeria is purely symobolic, women should be treated respectfully everyday. I am not stating that women in the Western world are as that will also be inaccurate however we have more rights than anywhere else in the world.

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