ellehank: I AM WOMAN!

Last week I was part of a focus group in preparation for the forthcoming International Woman’s Day, to be held on March 8^th 2011.

International Women's Day is one day devoted to highlighting the economic, political and social achievements of women internationally. It is celebrated as a national holiday in countries including China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, but in the UK it is still to realise its epic potential and importance.

The evening was spent brainstorming manifestos, marketing and priorities for the UK audience. It was interesting for me to consider my own priorities and interests for the IWD manifesto, but even more interesting was hearing those of the women around me. They were all so different, and the evening made me aware of what it is to be a woman, what feminism is (or could be) today, and how important it is that we reflect and celebrate what we are.

The Germaine Greer days have passed, and statutorily woman – in the UK at least, now have equal rights; but there’s still a place for feminism. It’s just a redefined and rebranded version, and I really hope that next years IWD will help to disclose what this new brand is.

Below are a few women that have inspired me