Rethinking Women's Day: Celebrating womanhood

We are in the final week of Women’s Month- can you believe it?  

Women's Day celebration 2023. More Than Pretty in collaboration with Never in The Red

This year, amidst the flurry of giveaways, spa days, and celebratory lunches, I found myself asking the question: What are we truly celebrating? And If I were to plan a celebration of womanhood in 2024, where would I start?

Traditionally, Women’s Day has been marked by gestures of pampering—spa treatments, cupcakes, and roses. While these are thoughtful and appreciated, they can not fully capture the essence of what it means to celebrate womanhood. After all, society often equates celebrating women with giving them a break from their daily responsibilities, as if to say, "We know that we expect too much; take today off." 

If I were to try and honour what is at the core of womanhood - rest would not be the first thing that came to my mind. Yes women are tired - but I think we are the type of tired that rest and relaxation won't fix.

So where would I start?

Firstly, it would need to be a celebration of the bravery and determination of womanhood. The kind we saw in 1956 from the 20000 women who marched in protest of this country’s pass laws (the reason we celebrate Women’s day in the first place). A reminder of just how wildly capable we are.

#AmINext protests 2019

I would want to hold space for the pain that inevitably comes with being a woman. Remembering women like Uyinene Mrwetyana, whose tragic death in August 2019 ignited the #AmINext movement. Her story, and the pain it represents, calls us to confront the violence and inequality that many women still face.

I would consider my own experiences—and the times when society seemed to so fiercely clash with my strength as a woman. Like having to head back to work after having a baby - a time I felt so misunderstood.

I would think of the life my mother lived, the lessons she imparted, the stories my grandmother told and the ones I will never hear because they are too painful to tell.

I would think of my loss - the kind of loss only a woman can know -  and the various versions of it that so many women carry. 

To me, a true celebration of womanhood acknowledges and holds space for ALL the parts of womanhood. Because even when we don’t speak those parts - they’re still with us. My idea of a celebration doesn’t encourage us to rest and be silent, but rather to stand up and be heard. 

That’s where I think I would have to start. And if that is the start, imagine where we could end up?