It is every day March the 8th for PlaisirsDurables!
This PlaisirsDurables blog has just been created. By establishing the editorial calendar, this UN International Women's Day comes in pole position among the essential topics.
Spontaneously, full of enthusiasm, I think of all these things to denounce, to bring to light. We will be able to talk about inequalities between men and women, the famous Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the visibility (or rather the invisibility) of women, …
Then, the questions multiply to get back to the basics...defining a woman and feminism. What makes someone a woman? Should we necessarily choose one or the other? Is anyone with genetically feminine attributes necessarily a woman? Can we be a feminist (man, woman, both or neither for that matter) and act without feeling like we are responding to an injunction?
All of this is complex, and we can't quite blame those who end up answering with annoyance "At the moment, we can't say anything without offending someone..., well you see?!” It is all about nuance, language habit and inclusivity.
With this in mind, PlaisirsDurables has also chosen Farnese as its ambassador (see our 1st video). Farnese is a young Belgian trans model of Haitian origin. Regardless of her sex assigned at birth, she has the right to live her full life as a woman without judgement. As a result, she too suffers from gender-related injustices combined with those already suffered by the minorities of which she is a part. We will have won many battles the day Farnese is presented only with her first name, and she will benefit from the same chances as any human person on this earth.
Although this collaboration is recent, PlaisirsDurables has taken part in these changes since its creation. We fight in our own way by donating 5% of our sales to NGOs with, among others, the “Maison des Femmes” which helps abused and circumcised women. Victims for having committed the sole crime of being a woman.
Currently, the various systems that make this world go round are based on patriarchy. Systems well established for too long that seem difficult to modify and yet … change is on the way! For it to be sustainable, let's start with active listening. Let's stop minimizing or discrediting women's speech for absurd reasons. Listening to the voice of women is to free it and suddenly, to make it exist at its true value.
The question of feminism and women's rights is so complex that it is impossible to summarize it in one article. So, let's take the time today, this March 8, to take stock. What are the injustices suffered by women in her country? In neighbouring countries? On other continents? In other cultures? How can I help at my level? What actions can I take to avoid gender stereotypes within my family? At work?
Do you feel lost in this debate? Find out from associations, many all around us with different objectives and beneficiaries but with this common fight against inequalities.
Listen, learn to understand, and act. This is a good starting point for advancing women's rights every day of the year.
