Lived Experience Forum

[Daisydreamer]

Today is International Women's Day 2021!

International Women's Day is an annual, global celebration of the achievements of women. It's a time to reflect on the women of history who have come before us, to celebrate and empower the women in our lives and to support the visibility and achievements of women today. International Women's Day is also a call to action for all people to strive for gender parity. 

This year's theme is Choose to Challenge which is a call to action for each person to make a pledge for the year to come ✋ Here a small paragraph from the International Women's Day website about Choose to Challenge:

"A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.

We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.

From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge."

All over the world, people are #choosingtochallenge, and here are a few example below:
 

What will you choose to challenge? You can share your answers below ✋

[Daisydreamer]

I'll make a start 😊

✋ I choose to challenge societal pressure on young women to pick either a career or a family. We can have both! I will do this by having open and honest conversations with the young women in my life and leading by example through challenging my own self biases

[Appleblossom]

@Daisydreamer 

As someone who tried to do both, it can have its costs if there are inadequate resources ... for whatever reason.  Pressure to conform and inordinate pressure to perform need to be called out too.  I am grateful for Sane to have found a vehicle for my voice.

My challenge is .... Women often need to do much better than men to achieve equal status.

[Former-Member]

I really like this idea. 

To answer your question, I am going to challenge people taking advantage of women. "If you see something, say something."

I remember seeing a segment on ABC RN. A woman called in, and she wanted to thank someone she met ten years before. This woman had just moved into a regional town with her abusive partner. She went to the corner store in town one day, and the shopkeeper just looked at her and said "you don't have to stay." She said "I had no idea anyone could see it... I left within a week."

This also includes cheating. If I found out that someone I know has been cheating on their partner, I am not going to stay silent.

[SJT63]

My two cents worth is that there is so much pressure telling women that they can have both a career and a family that women who choose to stay home and devote their time to raising children without a career as well are being made to feel inferior. 

Back in the 90's I made that choice and was treated by working women as if I wasn't smart enough to have a good job and certainly couldn't hold an intelligent conversation; and I was never one of those women who only talked about nappies and daycare I can assure you.

I totally agree that women are every bit as capable, should be given every opportunity and should demand equal pay.... but if a man chooses to be a stay-at-home dad he is lauded as some sort of hero whereas a women who makes that choice is seen as ineffective. My nieces with young children are constantly asked  "When are you going back to work?" as if that should be their ultimate goal.

Well that has been my experience and observation and I think it is just as limiting for a woman than any glass ceiling.

[Daisydreamer]

That's a really good point @Appleblossom, we definitely need to call out the societal pressure both ways, including pressure to conform and perform. Finding spaces for our voices is so important.

Great challenge @Former-Member- there is a lot we can do to challenge by having open and honest conversations, and speaking up when we see injustice. I've been reading a lot this last week about learning to be comfortable in the uncomfortable, and in this case raising important concerns, using our voice and speaking our truths when we see injustice.

@SJT63  I think your point is really aligned with what @Appleblossom was saying- that there is also pressure to have a family and a career, and that women who choose to be at home with family are often stigmatised for that choice. Your post has really made me think and broaden my perspective- I am hearing that both sides of the discussion about work and family are experiencing the impact of gendered societal pressures. The experiences of your neices around "when will you return to work" is something I have been hearing a lot from my friends with new families too, and it is a very interesting point about the differences in how men and women are perceived when choosing to stay at home. Would love to hear your thoughts about how you challenge these stigmas from your experience?

[Appleblossom]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/ng-interactive/2021/mar/08/international-womens-day-this-i...