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Women's Day 10/08/2009
 
My feelings around Women's Day have always been ambivalent. I am not that sure what it is we are supposed to celebrate. Oh, I get that women are splendid beings who deserve a fuss. I also get that we should honour all the great women who came before us and contributed to elevate our position in society. My problem is that with that knowledge and with that gratitude comes a degree of anger, because I ask myself why women are in such a dismal position to begin with. 
Attempts to answer that question only raise more questions, and fan the flames. See, nature is cruel to women. Any woman who has ever brought a child into this world by pushing it through an S-bend will know what I am talking about. And it does not stop there. The survival of the newborn depends entirely on the mother's ability to nurse and go without sleep, while the male partner can choose to what extend he wants to be involved in the upbringing of his offspring. Women do not have that choice. Women have to endure the pain, give and go without or the child will die.
How is that not cruel? How is that not unfair? How is it not unjust that those who ensure the survival of humankind are not the most revered beings of our species?
What are we then celebrating on Women's Day? That we were and are denied our rights, but because we put up a good fight and made some advances to restore the situation, we get a special day?  Am I the only one who is uncomfortable with this?

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    I am an arts administrator and writer living in Cape Town. Most of my writing consists of business documentation for small organisations, but I also write the odd opinion piece and poetry. When I am not writing I like to spend time with my family and friends, watch a movie, listen to music, walk and read lots.  

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