All I want for International Women’s Day is….

By On March 9, 2009 · 6 Comments

By Special Correspondent Jessica Yee

IWD is like Christmas time for me. Although I’m certainly not religious, I definitely enjoy the gathering of folks, the general merriness in the air, and the giving and receiving of presents (big or small!)

IWD is like that too. I look forward to it every year, and like any loyal family member, try to make it out to as many events as possible with something in hand to contribute. I walk away in an attempt to not indulge too much, and deal with the never-ending frustrations of the many differing perspectives on how this day should be celebrated.

So as the good ole tune goes, in my original remix, all I want for International Women’s Day is…

  • Justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women worldwide
  • That women who are learning to birth babies in their home communities be fully funded and supported to do so
  • Affordable access to birth control, particularly since it’s risen some 900% for low income women in the last two years
  • All Indian Health Service staff and centres to receive training on administering rape kits
  • That Aboriginal women be entitled to matrimonial real property on reserve, and restored rights to own land after divorce, separation, or widowhood
  • For pleasure to be an equal and important part of sex education

  • That the grandmothers who are still raising entire families all on their own be given their due
  • For the anti-choicers to stop their attacks in South Dakota and leave the state with the least amount of abortions alone
  • That International Women of Colour Day on March 1st gets more recognized
  • For the majority of health organizations who tout all the high statistics in Aboriginal communities to finally get it that they need culturally appropriate services and that the one size education models DO NOT fit all
  • That racist legislation such as the Hyde Ammendment, which basically states that racialized and low income women do not get funding from Medicaid to have an abortion, is repealed
  • Fair and equal pay for equal work, not the 72 cents to every dollar a man makes in Canada
  • That the ultimate mother; Mother Earth, is more well respected and taken care of
  • For another transgendered person not to worry that services won’t include them, whether at the fertility clinic or at the women’s centre on campus
  • That righteous Native female rap artists, like Eekwol and JB the First Lady get the mainstream radio play and cred they deserve for keeping it real
  • For people to know that sex positive feminism rocks, and that this also means supporting rights for sex workers
  • That the ongoing sterilization of women without their knowledge or consent, whether because they are HIV positive or racialized, ceases
  • For Indigenous feminists to come out as Indigenous feminists, loud and proud
  • That Aboriginal women and families be deemed fit and worthy caregivers, to eradicate the apprehension of the 27 000 First Nations children currently in state care
  • For older women and younger women to share, mentor, and talk more to one and other
  • That the men who are doing the damn thang working in solidarity with us to keep on keeping on. You are loved!
  • To not only pick one day out of the year to honour, revere, or celebrate the life-givers of this world

    • What do you want?

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    • Brownstargirl

      love you and this!

    • http://revelandriot.com/news/100th-international-womens-day-78997 100th International Women’s Day | Revel & Riot

      [...] to check out – a great interview with Amnesty International’s Widney Brown (below) ; Jessica Yee’s IWD wish list on racialicious.com (she is the incredible founder of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network. The piece is from a few [...]

    • http://femmeguy.wordpress.com/ Femme Guy

      Keep being awesome! On the sterilization front, did you know that in many jurisdictions, trans women and men have to be sterilized in order to be legally recognized as their gender? A Quebec trans man is taking the Quebec Department of Civil Status to court for demanding that he be sterilized in order to exercise his civil rights: http://www.eliasdeanchallenge.com/

    • Erica D-Winnipeg MB

      For other white feminists to understand what it means to be allied to women of colour, for straight feminists to understand allieship with queer and trans folks, and for CBC to stop pretending that the wage gap is the biggest issue in contemporary feminism (or at the very least acknoledge that white educated women are at the top of the women’s side of the wage gap, and that all people do not have equal earning opportunity)

    • Ladyaedin

      That women who are Hard of hearing are allowed to get the same rights and opportunities in employment, education and life the world over and that includes the benefit of being able to afford hearing aids or other devices to help them in this world.
      That women with disabiliites are paid the same as their peers.
      To accept us not only for our differences but the unique and unlimited possibilities that we possess.

    • gina

      love this int’l nat’l days are not part of what i celebrate cause its a little hakey but i like this post a lot and i hope others will read it 2!