International Women's Day

World Toilet day is on the 19th November. World Radio Day is the 13th February. Because I listen to radio I was well aware of one of those days but I remember not a peep about the other. In fact there are 205 UN sanctioned World Days or Weeks each year. Other organisations and counties add days to the list, such as Remembrance Day in Commonwealth countries, which means that there is nearly always something to celebrate. Obviously enough some of the days attract more attention than others.

In the UK I did some youth and community work and, for several years, World AIDS day was important to us. At the time AIDS was big news, Europeans, Britons, were dying from it and the red ribbons, free condoms and information points were everywhere. Nowadays with Elton John at the edge of retirement and only Sub Saharan Africans much at risk I suspect it doesn't get quite the same publicity.

In Spain some celebratory days are much more visible than others. One of the biggest is the Día Internacional de la Mujer or International Women's Day (IWD) on 8th March. International Women's day dresses in purple - technically it's purple, green and white based on the colours of the flag of the Women's Social and Political Union, the Pankhurst's organisation. The day is about celebrating women's achievements, educating and raising awareness for women's equality, calling for positive changes for the advancement of women and lobbying for gender parity. It's also the day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

On the day itself, the Spanish press, TV, radio and social media is full of IWD related stories. Usually as well there is some sort of Government initiative timed to coincide with the day. This year the announcement has been of a sexual parity law which will guarantee parity in the Government and in the boards of directors of large companies and professional associations. It will also introduce parity in the electoral lists which form the basis of the voting system here. Unfortunately, for the Socialist coalition currently governing in Spain, the differences of opinion between the two major partners of that coalition have also come to a head just in time for IWD. The row is about changes to a newly introduced sexual abuse and rape law which is commonly called "Solo sí es sí". Only Yes is Yes. If the victim doesn't say yes then it means no. There is more argy bargy about a new law affecting transgender people too.

Here in Pinoso the IWD events go on for an extended two weeks. There is, for instance, an exhibition of women painters at the Cultural Centre till the 17th, there was a conference about the co-responsibility of care and equality in everyday life, a film with a feminist theme, a five minute silence to protest violence and killing of women by men (this silent demonstration happens every first Friday of the month throughout the year outside the Town Hall) and there was a play by a local theatre group. On the day itself local community groups introduced their balcony banners which are now on display in the Town Hall Square. One of those banners was from the reader's group that I'm in. For the rest of the period there is something called Seeds of Equality, there is a ceremony to honour women pioneers in business, a walk for equality, a fashion and art show and the opening of a reading point. If your Valenciano is better than mine you may be able to glean more information about those events from the picture alongside this post.

But if that's what's happening in Pinoso, the 901st largest town in Spain, imagine what's going on in places of any size!