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International Women’s Day

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bryant chapter.

Every year, on March 8th, the world celebrates International Women’s Day.  Going for more than 100 years strong, women have celebrated this day in hundreds of ways.  So if you have no BIG plans this evening, I suggest you take the day to lift up your chin, stick out your chest, and flaunt those legs!  Come on ladies, show your confidence!

Of course I had to “google” what exactly International Women’s Day is.  I found some interesting stuff:
“The premise, that women deserve the same rights and opportunities as men, is uncontroversial enough (which isn’t to say it’s that simple or free of debate at home or abroad). It didn’t always seem that way though, and its rise to prominence was anything but non-partisan.  In its early life, the events had a socialist tinge. A National Women’s Day was observed in the U.S. in 1909 after a declaration from the Socialist Party of America. The following year, at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin put forward the idea of an international day to advocate for women’s rights. The motion passed unanimously” (Source: Nationalpost.com).

All of this must mean that from “era to era”, International Women’s Day has been celebrated differently; before women’s rights and after the fact.  For instance in 1932 there was a Soviet poster for this day which stated, “A day of rebellion by working women against kitchen slavery.”  Women through the ages have almost always prided their work in the kitchen and I fully believe we went through a time, or we may still be going through it, where women actually hate(d) being associated with the “kitchen” scene.  How do you feel about it?  Not being the Italian cook I should be due to my heritage, I am not so much of a kitchen type of girl.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to bake with all the women in my family on big holidays and even make a bomb smoothie or two during the summer, but I just don’t have that knack that so many women possess.  I actually envy anyone who can grill a juicy steak, cook a hefty-homemade soup, or bake cheesy lasagna.

Taking the role in the kitchen was the first of many roles that women successfully dominated.  Why did it take so long for us to dominate worldwide?  Women have moved away, drastically, from the housewife to the CEO of Fortune 500 companies.  Finally.  We are no longer the arm candy of a man.  Lacking confidence in the past has kept us in kitchen-like roles.  But now we’ve gained this confidence about ourselves that is actually incredible!  We are beginning to celebrate our sexuality, our womanhood, and everything else in between!  Having the confidence to walk into a room full of people and not feel small is so indescribably sexy.  Remember, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner”.  I think that is the new way to celebrate March 8th—to remember how unique each and every one of you truly is.  Every sexy or quirky quality about yourself makes you, well you and I think that’s reason enough to celebrate.

So to all the women of every shape, size, age, and color cheer’s to you on this day-each and every one of you is what makes this world go ’round (seriously scientists just proved it..haha).  Continue fighting for your rights to climb to the top of a company or become a better chef than Emeral, continue to flaunt what your mamma gave you or keep it as your mysterious secret, continue being you and celebrating who YOU are and what WE as WOMEN are!

But never forget where you came from–these include the delicious recipes that have been handed down to you and thanking those powerful women in your family who got you where you are through many struggles.  

Happy International Women’s Day women!

Jessica is a senior at Bryant University where she is majoring in management and double minoring in marketing and communication.  She holds the position as Editor-In-Chief of Her Campus Bryant and was actually one of the first founding members!  Beyond Her Campus Bryant, she is the Vice President of the Bryant Marketing Association and a MyPath Mentor.  She loves working at the Amica Center for Career Education where she manages their marketing and social media efforts but also enjoys her time at the Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership and the school's bookstore. When at home in Connecticut, she loves to watch movies with her family, play with her dog, have bonfires with friends, sleepovers with her sister, and scrapbook! Jessica aspires to one day manage her own department of a fortune 500 company, or even run her own company with a little bit of writing on the side!  Upon graduating this coming May, she will jump-start her career at EMC as a Marketing Development Associate in the Marketing Development Program.
Makena is a senior at Bryant University, studying International Business, Marketing and Spanish. In addition to co-founding Her Campus at Bryant, Makena is a published author, a peer mentor for Academic Programs International, works as a research assistant on campus, and is over-involved in general (and loving it). When she isn’t running frantically between classes, work and meetings, Makena enjoys travel, good Tex-Mex and getting lost in a great book.