What To Do On International Women's Day

Being a part of a group is not really my thing. But there is one group of which I am a member, that I didn’t “sign up” for. I was born a woman. Being part of a group called “women” simply means that you most likely have a vagina. When you become a woman, there is no manual, you have to figure out how to “do” being a women by doing it. You watch other women, read magazines, listen to your mother, sister, grandmother. You practice being a woman and adjust how you do it by the reactions you get. For example, wearing a really short skirt gets one kind of reaction from men, another reaction from women. By performing your gender, you learn how to “do” it from how others respond to you. If there is one thing women have in common around the world, other than anatomy, it is that we have to be constantly aware. Women need to be alert to their surroundings not only to avoid possible physical harm to their bodies, they have to be aware of whether or not they are performing their role as women correctly. Because in many societies, if they do not perform their roles correctly, they can be ostracized, or much worse. In many parts of the world, women are in constant danger because of their membership in this group. In too many parts of the world, women are not free.

 By Liza Donnelly / Forbes /more