Women's Day – Baby Creysi

Letter to my daughter on International Women’s Day

Posted on 08/03/2022 - 14:44 by Desarrollo WebAdictos

My dear daughter, today is International Women’s Day, and I would like to explain what the date entails. When I found out that you would be a girl, I was filled with joy. Your dad and I imagined what you would be like since you were in my womb. Will you like dancing as much as I do? Will you love the arts like your dad? We searched for a powerful name that would reflect strength and kindness. We prepared every detail to welcome you with love and thoroughness and dreamed of you. We visualized you big, happy, radiant, full of life and joy. But there is something inside me that worries me, and that is why I go out every March 8 to demand fairness. I must confess that the world you arrived in scares me a little because it is true: things are not easy for women, there are many dangers, and there is machismo.

I want to tell you that International Women’s Day is not a date to congratulate ourselves for our beauty or for being a “wonder that God created.” Today is a day of struggle; the goal is to make ourselves visible and stop all kinds of abuse. I hope that when you grow up, this day becomes obsolete, and its existence will not be necessary. Hopefully, women and men are recognized equally, and gender equality is a daily practice, so common that we do not have to emphasize it. One day they called us the weak sex, and we repeat that story so many times that we end up accepting it as reality without realizing its consequences. For a long time, we women taught our children that this was the truth; that is why we want to change the paradigm.

Let’s rewrite history: Once upon a time, there was a world where all people lived together, collaborated, and learned from each other. A society in which we respect each other not for being of one sex or the other but simply for being part of humanity.

That is the meaning of Women’s Day. It is not a day against men; on the contrary, today many families march on the streets to demand equity: women and men have the same rights and opportunities but respect our differences.

The fight is not one day, nor was it born from a specific event. It is the fruit of more than a hundred years of feminist movements to demand freedom of thought and action, fair wages, and, above all, an end to all kinds of violence.

For my part, I will do my best to make you a full, confident woman but also kind, empathetic, and fair. Your mission is to be happy, find a dream, and fight for it.

You can read: What do we celebrate on March 8?

Your dad and I will be your guides, but the time will come when you must fight alone, spread your wings, and shine with all your brilliance. I only ask that when you have your daughters or sons, if you want to have them, you teach them that we are all valuable and that there is no such thing as the weaker sex.

Never let them put you down for being a woman. If someone tells you that you can’t, draw courage within yourself to prove otherwise. If they try to mistreat you or make fun of you because of your gender, raise your voice, defend yourself, and don’t be afraid to set limits. We will teach you how to do it because you are not alone.

I want you to know that you are unbelievably valuable and that only you have control over your body and your decisions. Remember that everything has positive and negative consequences, so you must consider them before making any choice.

That’s right, dear daughter. You came into the world at a time when things are changing, but it requires us to keep fighting. I hope that we no longer have to go out into the streets to shout for respect, peace, and freedom one day. Meanwhile, we don’t give up, and I ask you never do.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version: Here

What do we celebrate on March 8?

Posted on 04/03/2022 - 09:50 by Astrid Rivera Reynoso

Imagine that just because you were a woman, you couldn’t study or work, that your only choice was to be at home. For many years it was like that. On March 8, we remember the fight for equal opportunities between women and men so that girls have a better future.

Today, women make their decisions and perform any activity. However, this date reminds us that the battle for equality is constant and that there are still many challenges to overcome, such as gender violence.

We recommend: How to empower your girls

Why March 8?

This day was chosen by the World Organization of the United Nations (UN). In 1977, it officially declared International Women’s Day to commemorate the history of women’s rights movements.

In 1979, the UN approved the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). All the countries that are part of the organization promised to take action to promote gender equality.

On March 8, the fight for women's rights was commemorated. Photo: Pixabay — On March 8, the fight for women’s rights was commemorated.

Photo: Pixabay

And in Mexico?

The struggle has been long, but women have made their way in school and at work in our country, showing that they have the same capacity as men. More than half of the female population belongs to the labor sector, and 39% have management positions in the social, private, or public sectors. They own a third of the small businesses in Mexico.

Even though they gain more space in sectors that were previously only considered for men little by little, things have not changed much when women get home. There is still inequality in the time that women dedicate to housework since, according to the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (Inegi), they spend 13.4 hours a week on these tasks.

In addition, violence against the female population continues. From January to May 2021, more than 106,000 cases of family violence were reported, while 13,631 women fled home with their children due to domestic violence, according to the National Public Security System (SNSP).

Do not miss: Ten books to turn your girls into powerful women

More and more women are in management positions. Photo: Pixabay

Fight from home

This space is very important to promote equality between girls and boys without gender roles influencing their upbringing. The family tends to reinforce the difference between genders since the little girls are assigned tasks related to taking care of the house and others. At the same time, the boys are involved in activities that foster competition, which explains the Gender role and family functioning.

Marisol Pérez Ramos, a researcher at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM), recommends not limiting girls in their activities and tastes or limiting them to household chores in which all family members must participate.

“These types of limitations tell you about gender violence and the fact that girls are the ones who serve the food or do the chores. Nor should we tell them always to be nice or kind because it is a way of conditioning their behavior.”

Teach your daughters that they can practice any sport. Photo: Pixabay

She also advises not to compare daughters with boys, as this limits them and reproduces gender stereotypes and expectations of how they should act like women.

The fight for equality is every day; teach your little girl that she can achieve anything she sets her mind to and can make her decisions.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version