It seems insulting, almost patronizing to have to say it, but I like women. My mom is one. My sister, daughter, and daughter-in-law are all women; my granddaughters are pretty much on track to be, too. That's a great thing.
And the world my various female descendants are inheriting would seem to be a much, much better place than it was even when my generation were their age: domestic and sexual violence is down sharply since my kids came along; the "gender pay gap" appears to be largely tied to women having the option to choose lower-paying fields (an option they disproportionally exercise more, the more gender-egalitarian a society gets, and any gap in access to higher education that may have existed in my parents generation has been more than reversed for better or worse.
I'm not female - not even by any definition recognized by an Ivy League humanities department - so I'm not going to proclaim "this is the best time in the history of any major (shaddap about Dahomey) non-mythical (hush about the Amazons) society. Wouldn't want to be accused of "Mainsplaining", even if it's a comic little ad-hominem.
But it's true - there is an International Women's Day.
You'd think it'd be a day for commemorating...y'know...women. In general.
And in some parts of the world, that's what it seems to be:
Today is March 8 International Women's Day. Not so special in Europe, with 100 genders or something. But in Russia a holiday, men give flowers to women. women are treated with more respect than in the sinking ship Europe. That is a nice feeling I can say as a woman! pic.twitter.com/mq2mdoa6OA
— sonja van den ende (@SonjaEnde) March 8, 2023
But here in the US, the home of "Big Karen", the home of the perpetually aggrieved white upper-middle-class woman with the MA in the humanities and the career in the non-profit/government/academic complex and a list of grievances curated more carefully than a Smithsonian exhibit on dadist sculpture?
I mean, what do you expect is going to happen?
Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge gender equality. Get ready for #IWD2026.
It was this past Sunday, and since it was also Daylight Saving Time switch-over day, I suppose the fact that the day was only 23 hours long was just another imposition by the patriarchy.
But I have to say - if they're looking for "a world free of...stereotypes", the day didn't get off to a great start:
🚨 NOW: Liberal women have gathered in an NYC park to collectively “SCREAM IN RAGE” during an International Women’s Day protest
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 8, 2026
If they think this is going to further “women’s rights” or whatever, these people have some real brain damage
Unhingedpic.twitter.com/m6q494Lyg8
I mean, you look under the blue hair, and you can see the socialist roots:
Happy International Women’s Day!
— Jacobin (@jacobin) March 8, 2026
IWD is a socialist holiday, honoring working-class women from around the world who have joined together to fight for a more just and equal future. https://t.co/y3uuA4ezdz
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on February 28. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.
Since the United Nations always yells "Off what?" when socialists yell jump, the UN started blogging the day 51 years ago.
And it seems - according to this "Global women's rights activist, author and speaker" - that the whole thing is an excuse to tell the world that nothing has changed since the 1800s...
Quick reality check: All around the world, women and girls are still not able to fully participate in all aspects of social, economic, and political life. They have less choice and less voice — and are further burdened with the responsibility of rectifying this imbalance. Achieving equality is viewed as “women’s work”. As if we caused this mess in the first place.
Ouch. That sounds grim.
But I'm noticing a lot of focus on "first world women's problems", and rather less on things like female genital mutilation, honor killings, and generally this sort of thing:
Feliz día a todas las mujeres que el feminismo se niega a ver 💐
— Eliana (@ElianaCere) March 8, 2026
pic.twitter.com/vaYRZs1pAv
I'm going to go out on a short, sturdy limb and guess that supporting the women of Iran, beyond a cursory "yes, that kind of oppression too", isn't on the agenda.
