Posts on Gender Equality You Need to Read | International Women’s Day 2020

Every year for the past few years I have pulled together a post for International Women’s Day, trying to link in with that year’s theme as best I can. This year’s theme is #EachforEqual and focuses on the idea that a gender equal society is an enabled society, meaning that gender equality leads to a better life for all of us. It isn’t a female-only issue, it’s something that affects us all.

Another focus of the theme is that of “Collective Individualism”, meaning that we each as individuals have an impact on the whole. So with that in mind, I decided to bring together a selection of posts on gender equality, written by a variety of bloggers, to help raise awareness of all they are doing as individuals and the impact they are having as a whole. If you have any other posts you think should be included here, please do let me know in the comments or contact me.

20 Ways to Champion Women

Nyomi from Nomipalony writes a lot about feminism, so it is no surprise that I’m including her in this list. She wrote a fantastic post for International Women’s Day a couple of years ago and it remains as worthy of sharing now as it was back then. 20 things you can do to champion women on International Women’s Day contains a wide variety of ways in which you can support other women, and is a great starting point if you’re unsure of what to do today.

Let’s Talk About #MeToo

Kate from The Less Refined Mind, has written a very vulnerable and honest post about the #MeToo movement and the issues that women face. She talks about how we all see things differently, and that when it comes to talking about abuse there can be many different interpretations of what constitutes assault.

But at the end of the day, women are more vulnerable than men, and the woman’s experience can be harrowing even when a man is completely oblivious to what has happened. And that is why we have to be cautious when talking about what is happening right now as things like the Harvey Weinstein trial throw it into the limelight.

As she puts it, “it’s sometimes better to accept that it’s not appropriate to comment at all, even if something doesn’t quite match your personal values.” Sometimes it’s more important for us to listen than to speak. And whilst this may be a challenging post to read, it’s one I think you need to read (I know I did).

Kate also creates some wonderful clothing and accessories with some great slogans on, some of which are ideal for celebrating Gender Equality, such as her, “Actually I can” t-shirt, which comes in adult and child sizes.

Feminist Books for Children

Laura, from Laura’s Lovely Blog, writes a lot about feminism and gender equality and is worth a read at any time of year. However to celebrate World Book Day and International Women’s Day, Laura has compiled a list of Feminist Books for Children. There are some truly lovely looking books including some specifically for boys (because feminism is for boys too!), some looking at women who have changed the world, and some that look at and reframe fairy tales. Last year I wrote about strong female characters for International Women’s Day, so any post that highlights feminism within literature, especially for even the youngest of children, is a win in my book (pun intended).

The Reasons We Need International Women’s Day

Harriet, from Toby and Roo, has long been a favourite of mine ever since I first met her at a blogging conference. Over the years she has written some cracking content, and her post Do We Still Need International Women’s Day? is no exception. It’s direct and to the point, sharing very clearly the reasons why we need a day each year to focus on just how far from equality we still are.

Supporting Women in India

Tanya, from Mummy Barrow, writes lots of lovely posts encouraging all kinds of people, so I could have chosen any number of posts from her. However the one I want to share with you today is one that tells you about a project that supports women in India whilst also producing reusable bags which help our environment. Why? Because this fits into the #EachforEqual theme so well – by supporting women to learn new skills and gain some financial independence we also create products that help in the fight against climate change. What’s not to love about that?

Never Presume a Person’s Sexuality or Gender

I wanted to ensure I included at least one post from within the LGBTQ+ Community in this selection, because so often we (as a whole) forget that gender and sexuality are complex things. I wanted to make sure I highlighted the fact that International Women’s Day is for ALL women, not just those who identify as cis-gendered. So I automatically popped over to Our Transitional Life, knowing that Kelly and Zoey would have written something I could share here today, and I wasn’t disappointed. Their blog is worth a read at any time, but today I wanted to share a post that Kelly wrote about the complexities of sexuality. As she so elegantly writes (as she always does), “don’t presume anyone’s sexuality! It’s just not cool.” And I hope it goes without saying that the same is true for presuming somebody’s gender.

And whilst I’m here, I’d like to remind you that Trans Women are women too. I don’t have the space to go into this in more detail right now, so please check out this excellent post about how ‘feminists’ who exclude trans women aren’t feminists at all.

The Definition of Allyship

Whilst we’re talking about the LGBTQ+ Community, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to share this gem from Kate at LesBeMums with you. The Definition of Allyship is a great place to start if, like me, you want to be a better Ally and support others. In it, Kate talks about privilege and how we all have it, and how and why we need to stick it out when the going gets tough. Because at the end of the day we have the choice to walk away from the discomfort whereas others don’t – we need to choose to stand by others through it all. She also talks about the difference between equality and equity, something which I can relate to very clearly with the battle against ableism.

Body Positivity and Diet Advertising

No post for International Women’s Day would be complete without considering Body Positivity, given how heavily this affects women and girls in particular (I’m not saying men and boys aren’t affected too, but it is very heavily directed at women specifically). The wonderful Molly from Mother’s Always Right, who you may have also seen on Naked Beach, created the #FreeFromDiets campaign last year, to tackle inappropriate advertising around the school gates. Recently she shared how phase 2 of the campaign is coming along and how you can get involved.

Do You Have Any Suggestions?

These posts are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to content around Gender Equality, so if you have any other suggestions you think should be included here then do let me know in the comments or by contacting me. And if you read any of the posts, let me know what you think.