Why I hate "Women's Day"

To be clear it’s not the platform itself I dislike: it’s a critical and important but my dislike is borne from the misappropriation of the day that makes IWD feel like the equivalent of Valentine’s Day … blatantly artificial.

WTF is International Women’s Day, anyway?! Quick history lesson: International Women’s Day started in 1911, when women — and men — took to the streets to demand rights for women to work, to vote, and to hold public office !

What I also hate....

1. Flowers: the gifting of dead flora. Symbolically, it’s grim. And pointless. A long-stemmed carcass to commemorate what, exactly?

2. Cards: the Hallmark-ization of this day brings me no closer to my rights.

3. Events: is this the only day you can make a statement, launch a report, regurgitate a speech? I’m not buying it.

4. Celebrations that we have to plan for ourselves: must we also make our own cupcakes?! And so we add to women’s unpaid and emotional labor.

5. When is International Men’s Day? The stupidest comment of all time.

6. The delusion that women are central to every organization, every company, everything… for just one day. It smells of politics and PR to me.

7. Whatabboutery: What about these people? This issue? Those things? These causes? What about letting us talk about women sometimes — and being ok with that?!

8. Pink: Really?! Does it all have to be so cliché? Should we have brunch? It’s not Mother’s Day!

9. Tick-box showcase of diversity… as if to say Look! We have women!

10. Measuring how far we (haven’t) come: I understand the need to celebrate micro-steps but we just aren’t getting far enough fast enough.

Also, Isn't this just an opportunity for "feminists" to man-hate?', 'Do we really need an International Women's Day?' 

So yes please don't wish me today,

Cheers,

Priyanka!