8 march, international women's day.
i know, today is the 11th but somehow, i didn't find the time to post anything about that before.
still in buenos aires. my napoleon-devourer friend had told me the day before that there was a march in the city to celebrate so i thought i'd go. as i headed to the 'meeting point', i met some young activists who told me about the very day, why they were marching... and also, about how it all started: ''everyone believes that women's day is just another valentine's day where men have to buy flowers for women. people forgot its true meaning and the tragic reason why we celebrate it today, on march 8th. it all started here, in argentina, on 8 march (i don't remember that year she told me but i guess it's either 1857 or 1908), when dozens of women went on strike and locked themselves inside the factory where they worked to demand better working conditions. to not have to answer those demands, their employer set fire to the building and killed his employees''.
i looked it up on the internet to find more. interestingly enough, the first article i opened started stating that this fire story was a myth, and it's true that i read/heard the same story, but set in the united states or in france.
the truth about how it all started is not as punchy but when we think about it, we realize that a lot has been achieved thanks to those women who went to the street to protest. there's still a long way to go and if it's a myth we need, then let's call it a fire.
Lorange Pressée
i know, today is the 11th but somehow, i didn't find the time to post anything about that before.
still in buenos aires. my napoleon-devourer friend had told me the day before that there was a march in the city to celebrate so i thought i'd go. as i headed to the 'meeting point', i met some young activists who told me about the very day, why they were marching... and also, about how it all started: ''everyone believes that women's day is just another valentine's day where men have to buy flowers for women. people forgot its true meaning and the tragic reason why we celebrate it today, on march 8th. it all started here, in argentina, on 8 march (i don't remember that year she told me but i guess it's either 1857 or 1908), when dozens of women went on strike and locked themselves inside the factory where they worked to demand better working conditions. to not have to answer those demands, their employer set fire to the building and killed his employees''.
i looked it up on the internet to find more. interestingly enough, the first article i opened started stating that this fire story was a myth, and it's true that i read/heard the same story, but set in the united states or in france.
the truth about how it all started is not as punchy but when we think about it, we realize that a lot has been achieved thanks to those women who went to the street to protest. there's still a long way to go and if it's a myth we need, then let's call it a fire.
Lorange Pressée
moodoscope: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0W212af1uk