International Women's Day

CHALLENGING EXPECTATIONS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

By Stephen Wilson

 

"I don't want presents on this day. I find it funny to

see so many men running around buying expensive

flowers and presents for their girlfriends. But what

women need is for men to respect them and not to

scold them at home. They should try and create a

more peaceful environment at home where both of

them feel relaxed!" stated a young economist from

Siberia called Anastasia. She was not referring to

International Women's Day which is held on the 8th

of March but Saint Valentine's Day. It seems that

many men feel under obligation to lavishly shower

their girls with presents on both occasions despite

the fact that the former is largely a Western

tradition. Yet I suspect her words apply to both

occasions suggesting different women want

something more than just presents and pretty

speeches but active respect and acknowledgement

where they are not treated as an abused object or taken for granted cleaner.

Witnessing the eve of International Women's Day

itself remains a fascinating spectacle. Men appear

to rush around two days before the event purchasing

flowers at a cheaper rate to avoid the spiked-price

rise on this date. You see men frantically hunting out

all kinds of gift shops. Given the amount of flowers

which are sold on this date you might as well rename

it : The Day Of Florists!

The original political roots of such a day remain

obscure to most young Russians. It is no longer

held to be a day of protest as in the west but often

another 'Day off'. The day was originally

commemorated to remember American and German

female strikers seeking to improve better conditions.

Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemberg, on the 8th March at the second congress of the Socialist 

International , persuaded delegates to commemorate the efforts of women protesters in

Prussia during the revolution of 1848.

Now if you read government posters hung up in

shops around Moscow you simply hear that it is

The Day of Spring, Beauty and Love. One wonders

if women are being fobbed off. The fact is that the

social status of women has tumbled alarmingly.

Even physically beating up a woman is no longer

viewed as a serious crime but a mere domestic

dispute where the police are under no obligation

to intervene even if it results in murder. A recent

horrific case arose when a woman appealed to

the police to defend her from her ex-husband who

was threatening her with death. The police woman

answered: "We will only come to you when you

are dead". Shortly afterwards, the poor woman

was murdered by her ex husband. The police

officer who answered her happened to be a

woman! The abuse of women ought to be seriously

addressed on this and many more occasions!

A recent survey indicates that the attitude of Russian

women appears to be ambivalent and don't justify

prevailing conceptions that Russian women are

very passive, submissive and complacent concerning their plight. According to one survey by the Atlantic service Rambler, as many as 27% would prefer to cancel such a celebration as they don't see much to be happy about.

However, some research by sociologists indicates

that most Russians share in carrying out domestic

chores such as doing the shopping, taking the dog

for the walk as well as giving lessons to their children. 

However, 57 % of women expect men

to fix things and 75% believe he should contribute

more to the family budget than women. Svetlana Wilson told me: "I'm not against celebrating such a day. I only object to being told that I have to celebrate this day by the government. I would prefer to celebrate out of my own choice".

A 16-year-school girl Natasha told me : "I like how

they are celebrating it in the West with meetings and

rallies where they can raise issues. But in Russia how we celebrate it in comparison seems primitive".

I once came across a Russian musician who told

me: "Unlike in the West, we don't have emancipation in Russia." I lamented, if only it were true. Dream on!