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12 Days of Feminist Christmas
from Unforeseen
12 Days of Feminist Christmas By Eliot George
What does it mean to be a woman? In 2020, it is a blessing that there is no single answer to this question. No longer must a person’s claim to ‘womanhood’ rest on their ability to raise a family or menstruate monthly. Instead, we can celebrate the variety of those human beings who do choose to identify as women, and recognise that each person has a unique understanding of what their gender means to them.
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Yet, dear readers, this multiplicity of experiences should not obscure the continuities across the lives of many women. And unfortunately, one of those continuities appears to be a lifetime of emotional labour. We are not just women; to those around us we are also friends, therapists, mothers, personal assistants – the list goes on. Is this fair? No, not particularly. But until we hold men to the same standards that we do women, I suspect many of us will continue to be dragged into the social role of the ‘educator’.
So, with that in mind, I present:
1. When I’m on my period, I cannot ‘see’ the egg. I am not a goose. 2. As an adult man, you need to take more than one paracetamol for a headache. 3. When you are in a relationship with someone, it is a good idea to discuss your feelings with them. 4. You are not that complex. And, trust me, therapy is a great idea. 5. If you’re feeling unwell and coincidentally haven’t eaten in eight hours, it may be because you haven’t eaten in eight hours. 6. This is where my clitoris is. (This, surprisingly, will need to be explained more than once.) 7. Moisturising your face is a normal thing to do. 8. Buying new underwear is not difficult, and it’s nice to do once in a while. 9. If I have a stomach-ache, putting on multiple layers of warm clothing will not have the same effect as a hot water bottle. 10. You can, in fact, use a concealer if you’re a man. 11. You should go to the dentist more than once every two years. 12. Yes, there are three holes.
