The Powers that Be declared March 8th International Women’s Day way back in the early 1990s. Maybe I was too busy in high school back then to take notice. But now, as a working mom of three and wife to an equally hard-working husband, I am so glad that I can celebrate my “achievements” by walking out of work, ignoring my kids, and “take bold action for gender parity” as Women’s Day organizers describe as the purpose of this special day.
Woo-hoo!
Why limit this responsibility-free day to March 8th? Why not make it a month-long celebration? We women deserve it! My husband might not appreciate that, but then again, he really needs to learn how to keep his oppressive, patriarchal tendencies in check.
How am I planning to #BeBoldForChange this month? I’ve taken this handy “Take Action” form on the Women’s Day website as my guide and here’s what I have come up with so far:
I’ll challenge bias and inequality
I’ll challenge bias by challenging the growing Leftist bias against free speech that has infected our colleges and universities, a culture which leads to faculty declaring President Trump supporters as terrorists and right-leaning intellectuals to be shouted down and bullied off of campus.
I’ll fight against the inherent inequality in our public school system that forces too many poor and minority children to go to failing schools and prevents parents from choosing a better school simply because they can’t afford to move to a better neighborhood.
I’ll campaign against violence
I’ll campaign against all forms of violence against women, especially those pre-born girls and boys in the wombs, by devoting my energy to giving women authentic healthcare services that empower them to choose life, whether through adoption or parenting.
I’ll celebrate women’s achievement
I’ll forge women’s advancement by celebrating women who choose to stay at home and women who choose to work because in both cases they are doing so based on what is in the best interest of their families. Too often, the world measures women’s achievements in dollars and percentages – wage inequality, how many women hold executive jobs, or other political office.
But isn’t it what women produce as a result of the uniqueness that makes us women, our fertility and our children, the most powerful and valuable assets women offer the world?
I’ll advocate for workplace policies and patronize employers that give working women (and men) flexibility, paid time off, and other family-strengthening benefits because they acknowledge the importance of strong families in our society and the value of keeping good employees satisfied.
I’ll champion women’s education
I’ll champion women’s education by promoting policies that give parents the greatest amount of freedom to choose the best educational path for their child.
I’ll work at the local level to encourage school officials to expand public school choices for parents by approving more public charter schools so that parents can choose what educational resources are best for my child. Why should children be trapped in failing schools simply because of where they live?
Do you think this agenda will be endorsed by the “Day Without Women” protest organizers?
Being pro-free speech, pro-life, pro-family, and pro-school choice are an anathema to the progressivist brand of feminism that Women’s Day leaders embrace. I guess that should not surprise anyone when you look at the holiday’s origin. Russian Communist Party founder Vladimir Lenin declared Women’s Day in 1911, a holiday primarily celebrated in socialist and communist-controlled countries until the 1970s.
On second thought, maybe I’ll sit this ‘protest’ out. Instead, this month, I’ll get up, go to work, come home and make dinner for my husband and kids. My colleagues depend on me, and I on them. My family needs me, and I don’t want to be without them. Reasons enough to ‘be bold.’
Clare Venegas is president of Obria Medical Clinics, which operates five reproductive healthcare clinics in Orange and LA counties, and the former executive director of the Lincoln Club of Orange County.
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