#BalanceforBetter is not enough

This week we celebrate International Women’s Day, fondly referred by some as “feminist Christmas” and one of my favourite times of the year.

It has been celebrated for over a hundred years by people all around the world, I look forward to it each year as a day to celebrate women everywhere, reflect on the progress made that year and consider where our movement needs to go next.

According to the official International Women's Day website:

“International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women - while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance.”

Each year a theme is chosen to bring together everyone around the world celebrating the day  under one goal.

The theme this year is #Balanceforbetter.

So what does that mean? Let’s unpack it a little shall we?

According to the website, 

“Balance is not a women's issue, it's a business issue. The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage. Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive.”

So International Women’s Day is not about women or their issues, it’s about business. Because how can we expect people to take one day to discuss half the population of the world without making it about money and economics? God forbid that the one day out of 365 we have to discuss specially women, is actually spent discussing women for their own sake.

The goal we are told to focus on is gender-balance, not justice for women, not even gender equality: gender-balance.

Should simply being in the room be the limit of our ambitious?

The lack of “gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage” is not the problem, it is a symptom.

A symptom of patriarchy, of women being limited, ignored and abused in every area of life. Government and business are not gender-balanced at the top because the systems they operate within are designed by men, to be run by men, for the benefit of men.

This is the problem International Women’s Day should focus on, it should not simply identify how unequal the world is, it should ask the question why. It should be a day to take action at the very root of the problem, not dance around the edges.

International Women’s Day should focus on the liberation of women and girls all over the world. It should be a day of discussion, action and solidarity against the patriarchy and misogyny that continues to harm, oppress and limit women as a class of people. It should centre on women uncompromisingly and unapologetically.

It should not be so desperate to portray the message that “Everyone has a part to play - all the time, everywhere” that the conversation is no longer about women’s issues. The conversation can be inclusive and unifying without forgetting its purpose.

The problem with focussing purely on “balance” is that it frames men and male cultures as being the ultimate goal that women should reach for to become equal. Why should women conform to male expectations and male power structures around the world?

Shouldn’t we aim to reshape the world in the image of all human beings?

Because if we are honest what would true balance look like in our current system?

Gender-balanced suicide rate, gender-balanced murdering of their partners and ex partners, gender-balanced perpetration of sexual violence, trafficking and exploitation?

Do we want that? Of course not!  When the organisers of International Women’s Day talk about “gender-balance” they mean that the aim is to give women an equal stake in power and wealth. A noble aim but one that isn’t possible in the current system. The current system after all is bad for men too. It makes men miserable while shutting women out and “balance” won’t solve this.

For women to be actualised as whole human beings in society we need to move beyond aiming for what men currently have. 

I understand that the organisers of the International Women’s Day are aiming to be as a broad a church as possible, to inspire businesses and people around the world to take part. I don’t blame them for picking a theme that is easy to persuade people, businesses and communities around the world to support.

I am simply exasperated by a world where we are so apologetic for our existence that we feel the need to make the one day out of  365 that is about women, not really about women or their issues.

Maybe next year it can be something a bit more revolutionary? How about #SmashtheSystem?