I didn’t formally celebrate International Women’s Day. Between all the rushing around I didn’t get organised in time to attend a lunch or breakfast. The irony is not lost on me. So just before I head to bed I am having a small celebration of my own over a cup of tea in a quiet house with lunches made and an orderly house. I have finished all the ordinary tasks that women do every day and now, for a little while, my time is my own.
As I drove to the office this morning, I listened to a ABC Radio. A journalist was reporting on a fundraising event organised by Oz Harvest. Celebrity chefs and CEO’s cooked for the disadvantaged and in a short sound bite he interviewed a woman who had never had a meal cooked for her as an adult. She was a full time carer and said she was on a budget and tried her best but it was a struggle. She wasn’t complaining. She was describing, factually, her state of endurance. She was thrilled to have this special day.
So, personally, today I feel that I want to celebrate women’s endurance. For women who endure pay disparity from the lowest paid to the highest paid positions. For those who endure sexism and bullying on their way to the tiny number of board room seats women now occupy. For those who endure domestic violence, very often to protect their children. As a former family lawyer I have seen extraordinary courage from women – from both those that stay and those that leave. For women who carry water and children for long distances in poor countries. And middle class women who work another 8 hours in the house after their day job is done, be that raising children, caring for family or paid work. It’s all bloody hard work, whether you get paid for it or not. I raise my tea cup to us all!
I like a good quote and here’s a lovely one from a book I have only just finished. Niall Williams’ “History of the Rain”. The protagonist describes her mother after the death of her brother.
“…she carried on. Women carry on. They endure the way old ships do, breathing into outrageous waters, ache and creak, hull holed and decks awash, yet find anchorage in the ordinary, in tables to be wiped down, pots to scrub, and endless ashes to be put out.”
Happy International Women’s Day.