3 minute read
International Women s Day
from The Stag Issue 4
by TheStag.
The Stag: Lent Term 2 2021
Contents
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International Women’s Day………...……………………...……………....…Page 2 Paris Fashion Week………………………………………………………......Page 4 Stress Busters………………………………………………………….…......Page 6 Lockdown Spring Watch……………………………………….………...…..Page 7 Quiz: Which baked good are you?…………..………………….……..……..Page 8 Fitness Apps Review……..………………………………………………….Page 10 Zero Discrimination Day..………………………………………….………..Page 11 Dance Feature…………………………………………...……….…………..Page 12 Photography Feature……………………….………………………………..Page 13 Yummy Easter………………………………………………………...……..Page 14 Global Recycling Day…………………………………………...…………..Page 15 The Problem with Bill Gates………………………………………………...Page 16 Regular Features……………………………………………………….…… Page 17
Welcome to the Stag Team!
Environment Editor: William Brown International Editor: Sandra Fuhrmann Sports Editor: Billy Hipperson Arts Editor: Millie White Fashion Editor: Megan Moore Photography Editor: Katrina Evershed Creative Writing Editor: Izehi Ebhohimen Contributors: Elo Quitman, Sophia Semkina, Missy Richardson Design Team: Jessie Tarrant, Megan Moore
If you would like to join the Stag team or contribute a piece to our next issue, get in touch by emailing us at: thestag@eastbourne-college.co.uk
FEATURE International Women’s Day:
Choose to Challenge
The first months of 2021 have passed and many of us might have experienced difficulties and challenges already this year. Therefore, this year’s motto of the International Women’s Day “choose to challenge” could not be more appropriate. Critical thinking is encouraged from a young age and at times when we are fed with more and more information it becomes even more important to question what we are told and to have the courage to challenge.
“Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay” (Simone de Beauvoir)
The French philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir wrote one of the most ground-breaking works discussing the situation of women and her ideas are still relevant for the feminist movement of the modern world.
Over half of the world’s population is female but inequalities between men and women continue to exist. Since the 20th century, women’s rights have been discussed but feminism will always be a contentious issue in debates. For example, women are 47 percent more likely to suffer severe injuries in car crashes as the safety features are designed to protect the male body and not the female. Additionally, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media analysed 120 theatrical releases between 2010 and 2013 and found that, of 5799 speaking characters, less than 30.9 percent were women and approximately 69.1 percent were men. Unfortunately, the perception of women as the “weaker sex” is still normalised in many societies and this makes it even more important to “choose to challenge” because confidence matters.
“Don’t let them get you down. Be cheeky. And wild. And wonderful.” (Astrid Lindgren)
Astrid Lindgren is a Swedish writer who is known for her strong female characters such as Pippi Longstocking.
It is not always easy to be confident, but it is significant to speak up about issues relating to gender inequality. The International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate the rights of women and it was officially founded in 1910 in Copenhagen based on an idea by the activist Clara Zetkin. She was involved in the socialist movement in Germany in the 1870s and was known for her oratory skills. Around the world, the 8th of March is celebrated differently: In the US, the whole of the month is contributed to women, in some countries such as Cuba there is even an official holiday to celebrate women and in Russia, this day is similar to Valentine’s Day. In Germany, in Berlin the 8th of March is also a public holiday, although Mother’s Day is given more importance in the rest of Germany. The first International Women’s Day took place in Denmark, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the US in 1911. Participants aimed to gain the right for women to vote.
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” (Malala Yousafzai)
Malala Yousafzai is a human rights activist who is not afraid to fight for the right of women to education, even if her own life is at risk. She was born in Pakistan and short by a member of the Taliban in 2012. She survived and now lives in the UK.
Choosing to challenge means to be able to speak up when
there is injustice, to show courage and to be oneself. As we are members of a society that allows us to speak up for our ideas, it is crucial to use the voice we have been given. Throughout time women have gained more and more independence and the 8th of March therefore it has become an important celebration.
"Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.… It shouldn't be that women are the exception." (Ruth Bader Ginsburg – former US Supreme Court Judge)
