Why We Celebrate International Women's Day Every Day
Written by our founder, Jen Gurecki.
I'd like to imagine a world where every day is a celebration of women. A world where women earn as much as men, have affordable healthcare and childcare, make their own decisions about their bodies, can choose not to marry without anyone feeling sorry for them, stop apologizing for other people's mistakes, get an education, and aren't survivors of gender-based violence.
I know. It's a lot to ask. Maybe that's why we're still demanding all of it more than a century after the first International Women's Day. I'm a fan of the day, obviously. But I'm not one to sit around and wait.
The short version: International Women's Day is March 8. At Zawadisha, a nonprofit that provides microloans to women in rural Kenya, we try to live it every day. Women who bring water tanks, solar lamps and iron roofs into their homes through our loans gain respect in their families and communities.
Where does International Women's Day come from?
Its roots are radical. Women took to the streets for better pay, the right to vote and an end to war. Then, as some of those battles were won, the day nearly faded away. Women went to school, worked outside the home, opened their own bank accounts, and climbed the corporate ladder, until they hit a glass ceiling. Equal pay never fully arrived. Healthcare stayed out of reach for too many.
And the women with the fewest resources were left furthest behind: poor women, women of color, women living under the threat of violence, women facing the impacts of climate change. The women of Zawadisha check too many of these boxes.
How does Zawadisha put it into practice?
That's one reason I started Zawadisha. I knew Kenyan women were smart, capable, resilient and determined. All I needed to do was help build the ladder, and they would climb it. And they have. The women in our community are sending their children to school, buying land, investing in their families' health and living more comfortable lives.
One of the biggest impacts of our work is respect. Women are the ones who bring the solar lamps, water tanks, iron sheets and mattresses into their homes, through loans they take out and repay themselves. That has shifted things for them.
People often ask if this creates tension at home. The answer is no. There's the occasional man who will, well, man. But by and large, our work and our team are deeply respected, and we have wonderful relationships with husbands, fathers, brothers, elected leaders, business owners and local chiefs.
What can I do beyond allyship?
As a white, middle-class, educated woman born in the United States, I'm deeply aware of my privilege. The feminist movement served me. That's why acting on equity is part of my daily work: I read, I listen, I research, I speak, I act.
If you hold similar privileges, ask yourself whether your values match your actions. Too often we feel the right things but stop short of acting, because we're afraid of upsetting people or losing something. We'll only reach equity if we move beyond allyship and become co-conspirators.
Say the tough things. Take the hit. Hold others accountable. Move through the world with kindness rather than niceness. That's what the women of the world need.
And if you want to put it into action today, help fund our next round of loans. Let's make International Women's Day more than a talking point.