Never in my life have I been called a feminist. Likely never in my future will I be called a feminist.
However, I gained a new appreciation for strong women this past week. Yesterday was International Women's Day. If this is news to you, don't worry - it was also news to me. I probably would not have thought about a day celebrating the strength and role that women play in society - especially because people in United States history have fought so hard for gender equality. Thus, if women are fighting for equality - it would seem counter-intuitive and not gender equal, to me at least, to have a day for men and not women..... or a day for women and not men.
According to Wikipedia (yes, I do seem to be using this a source for a lot of topics), International Women's Day first started in 1909 (how have I been missing it for so many years?!?). It actually started as a socialist political movement! However, in many countries today it has become a celebration similar to Mother's Day or Valentine's Day.
Traveling through Vietnam and visiting a few museums, cities, and villages opened my eyes to the impressive roles that women have, since early history, taken on in Vietnam. Traditionally, it is the woman who goes to work every day in the Vietnamese culture. Of the 54 different ethnic groups in Vietnam, most of them are matrilineal (family history and what not is traced through mothers rather than fathers).
On March 8th (Women's Day) and the couple days leading up to it, there were giant flower bouquets being sold on every other street corner in both Sapa and Hanoi. The deli I went to for dinner even had a special "Women's Day" set menu, and "Happy 08-03" or "For Women" delicately written on top of mini chocolate torts in the display cases.
Now, I'm not saying we need another Hallmark holiday in the States to sell chocolate torts and flowers. I'm just saying that yesterday, on International Women's Day (which is HUGE in Vietnam), I had a greater appreciation and celebration for those women in my life that are strong - people like my mother, my previous manager from Walmart, my former 'counselor' at Deloitte, my high school chemistry teacher, and so many of my friends....to name just a few....
However, I gained a new appreciation for strong women this past week. Yesterday was International Women's Day. If this is news to you, don't worry - it was also news to me. I probably would not have thought about a day celebrating the strength and role that women play in society - especially because people in United States history have fought so hard for gender equality. Thus, if women are fighting for equality - it would seem counter-intuitive and not gender equal, to me at least, to have a day for men and not women..... or a day for women and not men.
According to Wikipedia (yes, I do seem to be using this a source for a lot of topics), International Women's Day first started in 1909 (how have I been missing it for so many years?!?). It actually started as a socialist political movement! However, in many countries today it has become a celebration similar to Mother's Day or Valentine's Day.
Traveling through Vietnam and visiting a few museums, cities, and villages opened my eyes to the impressive roles that women have, since early history, taken on in Vietnam. Traditionally, it is the woman who goes to work every day in the Vietnamese culture. Of the 54 different ethnic groups in Vietnam, most of them are matrilineal (family history and what not is traced through mothers rather than fathers).
On March 8th (Women's Day) and the couple days leading up to it, there were giant flower bouquets being sold on every other street corner in both Sapa and Hanoi. The deli I went to for dinner even had a special "Women's Day" set menu, and "Happy 08-03" or "For Women" delicately written on top of mini chocolate torts in the display cases.
Now, I'm not saying we need another Hallmark holiday in the States to sell chocolate torts and flowers. I'm just saying that yesterday, on International Women's Day (which is HUGE in Vietnam), I had a greater appreciation and celebration for those women in my life that are strong - people like my mother, my previous manager from Walmart, my former 'counselor' at Deloitte, my high school chemistry teacher, and so many of my friends....to name just a few....
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