‘Sip and relax! Head to XX restaurant on Women’s Day and get a free bottomless beverage and relax by the pool’, ‘All women XXX car owners can take advantage of the benefits that include a free vehicle check-up, 10 per cent discount on labor, spare parts and other value-added services’,‘Get 20% off anti-wrinkle cream’.

Three Women’s Day deals, across three different continents. 

Women’s Day has turned into a commercialized day where cheap plastic tat and unsustainably grown flowers are shoved at female co-workers because they are women. 

Does anyone know where women’s day started?

In 1907. The day allegedly marked the 50th anniversary of a brutal protest. A protest by female garment and textile workers fighting for basic rights. The day was taken up globally, and millions of women have marched and demonstrated on March 8th to fight for their right to better pay, equality, and to end the brutality that is still perpetrated on women the world over. 

But, now you can buy a plastic balloon, and sit by a pool with a Margherita, while your car gets serviced for a 10% discount, slathered in anti-wrinkle cream - on Women’s Day.

In Kenya, little girls are being sold into child marriages and FGM is still practiced on women. In Sudan, it is still legal to stone a woman to death. In the USA almost half (49.5%) of multiracial women and over 45% of American Indian/Alaska Native women were subjected to some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime (Source: NSVRC https://www.nsvrc.org/node/4737).

But you can get a free massage on Women’s Day.

According to the UN, 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner (not including sexual harassment) at some point in their lives.

But, look we promoted a woman for Women’s Day!

While there are a few great stories that are highlighted on Women’s Day, stories about real changes taking place across the globe - most of it is tokenism and a way to sell things. Companies will shove their female employees in front of the camera and try and tell the world how progressive they are because they promoted a woman to a position she deserved anyway. They push their female employees to the forefront, to sell themselves to the ‘female consumer’. 

Why?

Because according to statistics women make up half of the consumer purchasing decisions. So, if you get women on board with your marketing, you have customers with stronger purchasing power.

The world has to change. 

In 2020, we should not be celebrating gender, or gender stereotypes, but rather passion, commitment, and hard work. 

Women should be in positions of power and promoted because they are good at their job all 365 days a year, not shoved out for Women's Day to prove a point. Women should be respected for growing and raising the next generation of our species. Women should be in the media every day because they are doing fantastic things - not one day a year because of their gender. 

Please stop the Women’s Day deals and start promoting women’s ideals.