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International Women's Day
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"Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "do one thing every day that scares you", many women over the years have truly embraced that challenge! The ones who stand out for me are Rosa Parks and Mary Wollstonecraft, shining examples to us all. "I've briefly read about Eleanor Roosevelt, but would love to read one of the books she wrote during her First Lady days! | |||
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"My daughters, both my girls are turning into beautiful young women with lovely persnalitys. They are both doing very well in school and they have high aspirations for good solid careers. I'm very proud of them both. PTU XXX " This is ace, PTU! I can only imagine how hard it is bringing up girls and setting them on the right path! | |||
"Mary Wollstonecraft and Maya Angelou. And my grandmother for a few reasons to do with education, her determination and her love for all. I hope to one day help as many as she has." Mary Wollstonecraft & Maya Angelou were both incredible women. Good call, Meli! | |||
"My Nan. She is a modern day saint. She is coming up to 70 but she can't bring herself to retire from her work in social services because she won't leave the families that rely on her. She has fostered many, many children whilst she ensures they are reunited with their families after help has been given. She rescued me. From a life of pain, drugs and abuse. She tried to help my mother be a better parent, she was beyond saving but she gave her whole being to try and help. She took me in. She now plays the role of grandparents to our kiddies and she loves it, she makes sure that our children will never feel the loss of not having my parents. She regularly brings home bags of other people's washing to help give them a break. She will give you her last penny and smile about it. She's everything I want to be and if I have just a sliver of her humanity and wisdom then I'll be so freaking happy. Eve. X" That's beautiful, Eve! Your Nan sounds like an amazing, awe-inspiring lady! | |||
"I was brought up as part of a single parent family. It's only as an adult that I understood the sacrifices that my Mum made to ensure I had a safe, secure, loving and happy childhood - definitely an inspiration and just the most amazing woman! " Dan, I'm totally with you on that. We're very lucky to have such amazing Mums! | |||
"Women have had far more impact on my life than men have so I am very happy to celebrate their achievements and stand for better rights. Being interested in all things sport there are several inspirations there. Hannah Cockcroft and Dame Sarah Storey Jo Pavey and Dame Helen Grainger Chrissie Wellington All with the incredible dedication required to be the best they can and also to compete on the international stage (and win regularly). Often while juggling families. Jo, for example, set up a treadmill at home so that she could get training sessions in while her baby was having a nap. Closer to home is my Nanna who told me at a very early age to get out of the town I grew up in as there would be nothing there for me. It was advice I took to heart and I feel was very very useful. Also my first manager when I started work after uni. She gave me the confidence to trust in myself when I was still a relative noob in the world of tax. And of course my monkey amazes and frustrates me on a daily basis. At this point in her life, male/female discriminations and issues are completely alien and she just gets on with 'people'. I'm hoping she can hold on to that for as long as possible as things hopefully improve in the wider world." I'm in awe of athletes and sports people anyway, let alone the women and what they give up and go through to truly achieve their goals! Good shout! | |||
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As well as mum, the Suffragettes, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott-King and Harriet Tubman are all women who stand out for me with regards to their determination, desire and selflessness. | |||
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"My daughters, both my girls are turning into beautiful young women with lovely persnalitys. They are both doing very well in school and they have high aspirations for good solid careers. I'm very proud of them both. PTU XXX This is ace, PTU! I can only imagine how hard it is bringing up girls and setting them on the right path! "Thank you. I always try to be honest with my girls about everything. I tell them about all the good things I've done in my life but also all the bad things I've done in my life so that hopefully they have a balanced out look. I was brought up in a very strict and sheltered family and I think that hindered me in some ways. Actually someone said something to me yesterday about my mother that made me see things a little differently. I believe that we should never stop learning and evolving. The moment that happens is the moment we will stop moving forward as honest and stable humans. PTU xxx | |||
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"My Nan. She is a modern day saint. She is coming up to 70 but she can't bring herself to retire from her work in social services because she won't leave the families that rely on her. She has fostered many, many children whilst she ensures they are reunited with their families after help has been given. She rescued me. From a life of pain, drugs and abuse. She tried to help my mother be a better parent, she was beyond saving but she gave her whole being to try and help. She took me in. She now plays the role of grandparents to our kiddies and she loves it, she makes sure that our children will never feel the loss of not having my parents. She regularly brings home bags of other people's washing to help give them a break. She will give you her last penny and smile about it. She's everything I want to be and if I have just a sliver of her humanity and wisdom then I'll be so freaking happy. Eve. X That's beautiful, Eve! Your Nan sounds like an amazing, awe-inspiring lady! "She really is, the world needs more women like her and I hope I can do her proud. Thanks doll. 
Eve. X | |||
"Eve's Nan now ...also Harper Lee, the last paragraph of her book always makes me cry. Rosa Parks for standing up or in her case, stay sitting down for her rights. " Ha ha aww that's lovely! Thanks you. Xx
Eve. Xx | |||
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"Elizabeth Cady Stanton. A woman way ahead of her time, and thankfully so. Her "Destructive Male" speech I could read all day. Beautiful writing and powerful rhetoric, sadly some of it still relevant today. It's hard to believe she gave that speech in 1868." Thanks Howi. I've just read and I'm posting it here for all to read
I urge a sixteenth amendment, because 'manhood suffrage,' or a man's government, is civil, religious, and social disorganization. The male element is a destructive force, stern, selfish, aggrandizing, loving war, violence, conquest, acquisition, breeding in the material and moral world alike discord, disorder, disease, and death. See what a record of blood and cruelty the pages of history reveal! Through what slavery, slaughter, and sacrifice, through what inquisitions and imprisonments, pains and persecutions, black codes and gloomy creeds, the soul of humanity has struggled for the centuries, while mercy has veiled her face and all hearts have been dead alike to love and hope!
The male element has held high carnival thus far; it has fairly run riot from the beginning, overpowering the feminine element everywhere, crushing out all the diviner qualities in human nature, until we know but little of true manhood and womanhood, of the latter comparatively nothing, for it has scarce been recognized as a power until within the last century. Society is but the reflection of man himself, untempered by woman's thought; the hard iron rule we feel alike in the church, the state, and the home. No one need wonder at the disorganization, at the fragmentary condition of everything, when we remember that man, who represents but half a complete being, with but half an idea on every subject, has undertaken the absolute control of all sublunary matters.
People object to the demands of those whom they choose to call the strong-minded, because they say 'the right of suffrage will make the women masculine.' That is just the difficulty in which we are involved today. Though disfranchised, we have few women in the best sense; we have simply so many reflections, varieties, and dilutions of the masculine gender. The strong, natural characteristics of womanhood are repressed and ignored in dependence, for so long as man feeds woman she will try to please the giver and adapt herself to his condition. To keep a foothold in society, woman must be as near like man as possible, reflect his ideas, opinions, virtues, motives, prejudices, and vices. She must respect his statutes, though they strip her of every inalienable right, and conflict with that higher law written by the finger of God on her own soul.
She must look at everything from its dollar-and-cent point of view, or she is a mere romancer. She must accept things as they are and make the best of them. To mourn over the miseries of others, the poverty of the poor, their hardships in jails, prisons, asylums, the horrors of war, cruelty, and brutality in every form, all this would be mere sentimentalizing. To protest against the intrigue, bribery, and corruption of public life, to desire that her sons might follow some business that did not involve lying, cheating, and a hard, grinding selfishness, would be arrant nonsense.
In this way man has been molding woman to his ideas by direct and positive influences, while she, if not a negation, has used indirect means to control him, and in most cases developed the very characteristics both in him and herself that needed repression. And now man himself stands appalled at the results of his own excesses, and mourns in bitterness that falsehood, selfishness, and violence are the law of life. The need of this hour is not territory, gold mines, railroads, or specie payments but a new evangel of womanhood, to exalt purity, virtue, morality, true religion, to lift man up into the higher realms of thought and action.
We ask woman's enfranchisement, as the first step toward the recognition of that essential element in government that can only secure the health, strength, and prosperity of the nation. Whatever is done to lift woman to her true position will help to usher in a new day of peace and perfection for the race.
In speaking of the masculine element, I do not wish to be understood to say that all men are hard, selfish, and brutal, for many of the most beautiful spirits the world has known have been clothed with manhood; but I refer to those characteristics, though often marked in woman, that distinguish what is called the stronger sex. For example, the love of acquisition and conquest, the very pioneers of civilization, when expended on the earth, the sea, the elements, the riches and forces of nature, are powers of destruction when used to subjugate one man to another or to sacrifice nations to ambition.
Here that great conservator of woman's love, if permitted to assert itself, as it naturally would in freedom against oppression, violence, and war, would hold all these destructive forces in check, for woman knows the cost of life better than man does, and not with her consent would one drop of blood ever be shed, one life sacrificed in vain.
With violence and disturbance in the natural world, we see a constant effort to maintain an equilibrium of forces. Nature, like a loving mother, is ever trying to keep land and sea, mountain and valley, each in its place, to hush the angry winds and waves, balance the extremes of heat and cold, of rain and drought, that peace, harmony, and beauty may reign supreme. There is a striking analogy between matter and mind, and the present disorganization of society warns us that in the dethronement of woman we have let loose the elements of violence and ruin that she only has the power to curb. If the civilization of the age calls for an extension of the suffrage, surely a government of the most virtuous educated men and women would better represent the whole and protect the interests of all than could the representation of either sex alone.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton - 1868 | |||
Good work OP | |||
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"I recommend you all watch Hidden Figures - such inspiring women " Yes! This is on the watch list! | |||
"Along with many others on this thread, my mum. She struggled for many years to raise me & my brother on her own and battled with her demons and drink whilst doing so & yet never letting us go without. She managed to beat the drink for the last 4 years of her life before she passed at the far too young age of 59. She was my best friend and I miss her incredibly still 9 years on. Through her life she taught me about the kind of woman I strive to be "Beautiful Minxy | |||
"My gran. She was presented the mbe in recognition of her charity work. She was selfless and the most amazing lady. " That is so cool, you must be incredibly proud! | |||
"My mum - The most solid, dependable and resolute woman I know. Shaped me and my siblings into the adults we are all whilst working all the hours god sent. I was so proud when the hard work was recognised in the 00s and she was on the queens honours list
As well as mum, the Suffragettes, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott-King and Harriet Tubman are all women who stand out for me with regards to their determination, desire and selflessness."This is amazing! Can you tell us what she was recognised for without giving too much of yourself away!? | |||
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"I recommend you all watch Hidden Figures - such inspiring women Yes! This is on the watch list! " Seen it well worth a watch | |||
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"Ruth Ellis (1899-2000) Ruth Ellis was the oldest-known "open" lesbian when she died at the ripe old age of 100. She came out when she was just 16, graduated high school in spite of considerable adversity, and set up a successful printing business. She met her partner of 30 years, Ceciline, in the 1920s, and their Detroit home became a welcome refuge for African-American gays and lesbians. " When you first put the name up I thought of the last woman hanged ! | |||
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"Also just gone through my Twitter feed, plenty of Men moaning about no international Men's Day ...Richard Herring correcting each and everyone it's on November 19th "Yes, unfortunately, some just aren't going to understand the relevance of today... | |||
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"This thread is too good to drop off page 1 yet. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't get to 175. I'm going to change names in this post, can never be too careful. I think you'll see why. Someone else that inspires me is Jane. I work with Jane. She has been at the place I work since I started there. When I started though, Jane was Jon. Jon was a cheerful nerd that I would share Star Trek jokes with and seemed a very happy person enjoying their work. Under the surface though Jon really wasn't happy. Jon didn't want to be Jon. I don't think anyone knew this. One morning I came in to work and found an all staff email from the MD. Jon was now going to be called Jane. Would use the ladies loos, be referred to as she etc. 'I know that you will all be supportive in this life changing time' Without any noticeable change in the office, everyone pretty much just accepted it and carried on. Jane has been through surgery and various treatments. She still seems the happy nerd that I can share Star Trek jokes with. She has a YouTube channel doing 'unboxing' videos and tech product reviews. The comments she gets on there would be enough to make anyone curl up in a ball and cry but she keeps doing it to show them that they aren't going to win. She told me I was brave to bring a new life into the world. It was so easy to send back that she had almost done the same thing by making the decision to have the life she wanted. I'm going to hit 'post' now. Seem to have some dust in my eye. " That's amazing and I'm sure having supportive people like you makes it a little easier | |||
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"This thread is too good to drop off page 1 yet. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't get to 175. I'm going to change names in this post, can never be too careful. I think you'll see why. Someone else that inspires me is Jane. I work with Jane. She has been at the place I work since I started there. When I started though, Jane was Jon. Jon was a cheerful nerd that I would share Star Trek jokes with and seemed a very happy person enjoying their work. Under the surface though Jon really wasn't happy. Jon didn't want to be Jon. I don't think anyone knew this. One morning I came in to work and found an all staff email from the MD. Jon was now going to be called Jane. Would use the ladies loos, be referred to as she etc. 'I know that you will all be supportive in this life changing time' Without any noticeable change in the office, everyone pretty much just accepted it and carried on. Jane has been through surgery and various treatments. She still seems the happy nerd that I can share Star Trek jokes with. She has a YouTube channel doing 'unboxing' videos and tech product reviews. The comments she gets on there would be enough to make anyone curl up in a ball and cry but she keeps doing it to show them that they aren't going to win. She told me I was brave to bring a new life into the world. It was so easy to send back that she had almost done the same thing by making the decision to have the life she wanted. I'm going to hit 'post' now. Seem to have some dust in my eye. " Nice one | |||
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"Valentina Tershkova; Champion Skydiver, Cosmonaut, Mother. The third human in space after Gagarin and Glenn, the second Russian and the first woman. Her flight was in 1963, most people think of Sally Ride in 1983 as the first woman. Her flight and landing had serious problems, which she calmly corrected, she emerged battered and brusied but said she couldn't wait to return. When talk of the one way trip to Mars began 10 years ago she volunteered claiming to be fitter and healthier in mind and body than most half her age and, she said, if it's experience and courage you're after I'm your woman. This was on her 70th birthday." I love this! Thanks for sharing | |||
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"Valentina Tershkova; Champion Skydiver, Cosmonaut, Mother. The third human in space after Gagarin and Glenn, the second Russian and the first woman. Her flight was in 1963, most people think of Sally Ride in 1983 as the first woman. Her flight and landing had serious problems, which she calmly corrected, she emerged battered and brusied but said she couldn't wait to return. When talk of the one way trip to Mars began 10 years ago she volunteered claiming to be fitter and healthier in mind and body than most half her age and, she said, if it's experience and courage you're after I'm your woman. This was on her 70th birthday. I love this! Thanks for sharing " | |||
"Here's what I posted on fannybook earlier (says picture) Happy Lady Day. Here's to women who kick arse. To the women who do their own thing. Who do that baby stuff because that shit looks hard. Who refuse to be someone's little woman. Who have an opinion and be whoever the fuck they want to be. Here's Marchesa Luisa Casati by Man Ray. Look her up, she didn't give a fuck either. Keep on keeping on my loves."
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"And Sister Rosetta Tharpe "She is a f***ing legend. | |||
"Nettie Stevens (American Geneticist) 1861-1912 Nettie Stevens discovered that the sex of an organism is determined by its X and Y chromosomes – disproving hundreds of years of men blaming women for not giving them a 'male heir'." | |||
"And Sister Rosetta Tharpe "I've just read a little bit about her. Awesome! | |||
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"My mother and my aunt; they taught me to face life, no matter how tough it gets Marie Sklodowska Curie; I look up to her. I am not even half as clever as her but she is my inspiration" Marie Curie was an incredible lady! Good shout | |||
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"My mother and my aunt; they taught me to face life, no matter how tough it gets Marie Sklodowska Curie; I look up to her. I am not even half as clever as her but she is my inspiration Marie Curie was an incredible lady! Good shout "Twice nobel peace winner | |||
"This is the first year I have seen a positive IWD thread. For that, OP, you get my inspiration vote today. Thank you. There are others, and others have mentioned many of them. I am going to name Polly Neate who has pushed and pushed this government to keep funding refuges, she pushed for the change in the law to recognise coercion and she will continue to keep women in the news. " Thank you, lovely! I think it's been a very positive IWD. There are so many truly amazing women around! | |||
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"This is the first year I have seen a positive IWD thread. For that, OP, you get my inspiration vote today. Thank you. There are others, and others have mentioned many of them. I am going to name Polly Neate who has pushed and pushed this government to keep funding refuges, she pushed for the change in the law to recognise coercion and she will continue to keep women in the news. " Do IWD threads tend to be negative? TBH it seems to have become this weird marketing drive...a bit like Valentines. Which is strange considering I actually think we're entering an age in which we're going to see a repression of female energy. If people really want some insight into genuine feminism they should perhaps check out Camille Paglia. One of the bigger figures during the second wave of the women's lib movement...its a shame she (and her ideas) ended up getting marginalized and replaced with this modern third wave, neoliberal nonsense. | |||
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