‘It seems strongly commercialised nowadays’
Sanna Perälä (30), a BSc International Business Administration student from Finland, feels as if International Women’s Day has become less meaningful. ‘It's a nice tradition, but for me it's just an ordinary day and doesn't improve women's rights by itself. In recent years, it has actually started to remind me of Valentine's Day since they are both strongly commercialised.’ Still, Perälä states valuing the celebration of women and feminism highly. ‘Public conversation requires different perspectives and I see feminism as an important one. Women's rights have been weakened in recent years and I find it very disturbing. To this day, there is strong misogyny limiting women’s rights to bodily autonomy such as the ongoing situation in Iran. Many women still don't have the right to make their own financial decisions or are paid less than their male equivalent. Overall, my goal is to promote gender equality with my own actions every day.’
Sanna Perälä.
‘These issues won’t be solved in one day’
Malte Hof (20), a BSc Psychology student from Germany, believes that women are structurally disadvantaged in society. ‘I think an international Women’s Day is necessary to draw attention to the issues women are experiencing. The core of these problems is rooted in gender roles and won’t be solved in one day in my opinion. Still, raising awareness of what is happening in, for example, Iran with women rebelling against the Mullah regime, is important and hopefully impactful.’
Hof goes into more detail on issues women are experiencing around the world. ‘I think crises affect women disproportionately, as covid showed, for instance. Domestic abuse and violence against women increased during the pandemic, which also shows the underlying biological discrepancies between men and women. Of course, there are also more societal issues such as the gender pay gap. I just see many areas in which equality could be improved more. Women’s Day might not solve the issue, but it sure helps.’
Malte Hof.
‘We are living in a patriarchal society’
Afina Gusmayadi (22), a BSc International Business Administration student from Indonesia, believes that International Women’s Day is of high importance. ‘I think it’s very important to celebrate women and bring attention to the issues and discrimination we face. After all, we are still living in a patriarchal society. In some parts of the world, women are still sentenced for wearing what they want to wear. I think women should be able to decide freely what they’d like to wear, whether that means wearing a hijab or not.’ Despite supporting, Gusmayadi thinks that the topic is multi-facetted. ‘There is a notion in my generation that, for example, sex work is liberating and empowering. I think this is a misconception of feminism since it is built on the foundation of men’s needs. Women are still being used and taken advantage of. I feel like men struggle as well and I don’t want to disregard that, but at the end of the day, the world caters to them and is built to meet their needs. The least they can do is acknowledge our struggles. I do think Women’s Day and Month can help to raise awareness and prevent the spreading of misinformation.’
Afina Gusmayadi.
‘There is discrimination in legal and religious structures’
Nikolaos Katsantonis (22), an MSc Mechanical Engineering student from Greece, feels as if Women’s Day could make a contribution to increase women’s well-being. ‘In my girlfriend’s country, it is a tradition for men in the family to appreciate the women, such as wives, mothers, and daughters. I think this appreciation is important and a gesture I support.’ Katsantonis thinks that women go through life differently than men. ‘In my experience, women are much more concerned about their safety in everyday life. Being out alone at night probably feels different to a woman than it does to me as a guy. Having a girlfriend made me acknowledge more of these differences and difficulties. Besides physical disadvantages, discrimination is sometimes woven into legal or religious structures, such as women being denied education, work opportunities, or being forced to cover their hair and skin. I think that’s why the Women’s Day could be important and even make a difference. Criminals will always be criminals, but Women’s Day can unite women and like-minded people who want to support and celebrate them.’
Nikolaos Katsantonis.
‘I wish there was a similar holiday for men’
Victoria Barbaros (22), a BSc Psychology student from Romania, is familiar with the tradition of celebrating women. ‘In my culture, most men give presents to women and children and congratulate their mothers. When it comes to men, I wish there was a similar holiday for them, so that people could take a moment and express gratitude towards the men in their lives. Regarding feminism, I like the underlying idea that women are powerful and can achieve whatever they want, but I don’t fully agree with the concept. I believe there are underlying differences between women and men, which is not a bad thing, as this is how nature created us. However, I believe that each person is responsible for choosing what they want to prioritise in their life, such as choosing a career path or choosing to be a mother. International Women’s Day should remind us how strong and capable women are either way.’
Victoria Barbaros.
