Adding insult to injury

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, or, how people say in French, Women’s Rights Day. I am grateful this year I didn’t receive any flowers, but it’s probably due to the fact that we all work from home and we see a very limited amount of people. I will also remember 2020/2021 as the years where it was easy to avoid people you don’t like and who don’t respect you! When I receive flowers on International Women’s Day, because it does still happen in the XXI century unfortunately, I imagine myself dressed as Joan of Arc, on a horse, saying to the guy holding flowers: “You are adding insult to injury”. For the record, outside of my head, I smiled and said thank you.

I didn’t receive flowers or anything else yesterday but I did go to the office, and saw somewhere “Celebrations for International Women’s Day”. Guys, no, there is nothing to celebrate, or to receive a present for. We will continue to fight and be annoying as you say we are when we speak up, and difficult, and hormonal, until we are not angry anymore, until we are not scared at night in the street anymore, until we are not affected by the impostor syndrome anymore, until we are united against all attempt to divide us, until we feel as entitled to be where we are and even in a better position as you do all the time, until we can choose what to do with our body and what to do with our lives. Does it feel like a celebration now?

Picture: “Here I have been harassed”. Taken in Brussels, but could be anywhere in the world.