A Word to Men

A Word to Men Ahead of International Women’s Day

by Georgina Diaz  (excerpts from her Girls’ Globe article) 

Every year, ahead of 8th March, there’s heated debate on men’s role in the gender equality movement. Are they doing enough? Are they doing too much?

These are my reflections for all men willing to listen.

1. Believe in Feminism
Know your beliefs and own them. Advocate for women’s rights because you want to. Don’t wait for an invitation. Be a feminist because you see the burden of unbalanced gender dynamics and you want to tackle it.

2. It’s not just about the Women you Love

Get involved for the billions of women you don’t know. This is not about someone close to you suffering, it’s about justice for half the world’s population.

3. Know your Role and Step Back Sometimes

An effective way to take part in International Women’s Day is to contact feminist organizations and offer to volunteer or make a donation. You can also babysit the children of your female friends or relatives so they can fully commit to the day.

4. Women’s Rights for Everyone

Listen, learn and acknowledge the different ways patriarchy constrains women’s rights. Not all discrimination looks the same.  Every single woman should feel as worthy as everyone else. 

5. Question Yourself

International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to reflect on the invisibility of everyday sexism. Take this opportunity to interrogate your conduct and examine if there’s anything about your actions that could change to achieve a fairer future for everyone. 

6. March and Be Proud

You’re campaigning for female empowerment, against gender-based violence, for respect and justice, against stereotypes and gender-bias, for full social, political, legal and economic equality and against the othering of women in society. That’s major.

Don’t question your power and feel proud of what we can achieve together.

Read the WHOLE story here >

Image courtesy of Huffington Post 

4GGL thanks Girls’ Globe for this story! 

Girls’ Globe is a communications organization with a global platform to educate and inspire people to take action on issues related to human rights, social justice and gender equality -driven by the connected voices of girls and women worldwide.