Disclaimer: This is a satirical piece. It is in no means an attempt to discriminate against any gender or persons.
The new date for equal representation, International Women’s Men’s Day (IWMD), is all about allowing women the chance to experience and celebrate life as a man, as a woman. Be careful not to confuse it with International Men’s Women’s Day (IMWD), as it also coincidentally occurs on the same date.
In order to allow for complete equality, the day itself is split in half, and also occurs on two different days within a two-year span. Through its own Olympiad of equal rights, only every four years is IWMD celebrated at the same time on the same date. This is because the day is shared with IMWD, so is split into a morning and evening slot. Whilst the day is celebrated annually, it is alternately celebrated on March 10th and April 10th, in order to alleviate any gender bias. With both April and March being name after ancient deities, Aphrodite and Mars respectively, the aim for IWMD is to ensure total equality among those celebrating.
This does, however, cause some concerns as to whether sleeping in on these respective dates may be seen as offensive.
While protesters have labelled the day as ‘pointless,’ those engaging in the celebration have concocted a list of criteria in order to fully appreciate life as a man, as a woman. From defining clothing choices (shirts with buttons on the wrong side and mismatched, oddly long, stripy socks) to lifestyle additions (central heating off, windows open, and, of course, peeing while standing up), the adaptations on the list are somewhat small, but have a huge effect on those participating.
One woman who celebrated last year shared her experience with others, describing it as ‘weird’, ‘affirming’, and ‘eye-opening.’ She continued:
I never thought for a second that men would experience life so differently from women, especially not in such a short space of time. Last year, during the morning that I celebrated life as a man as a woman, I had to make so many changes that I didn’t think it possible. I was actually meant to be buying a car that morning, and ended up getting one that is a lot faster than it is generally practical, but I like to think that it has given me an extra bit of something that I was afraid to see before. I recommend everyone celebrating this day – a true milestone to achieving equality.
The celebration has been criticised for affirming gender roles and not including those who don’t feel defined by gender. However, a pioneer for the event, Lady Jane Doe, ensures this is not the case:
I created this day of celebration for everyone. My husband John and I thought it was really important to allow everybody the same opportunity to celebrate life as each other. However you identify, there is always the chance to celebrate life as a man, as a woman. And, more importantly, to have a lot of fun doing so.
Whichever way you choose to spend the afternoon of March 10th this year, make sure you take some time to reflect on others and how they must experience their life. It often isn’t easy for anybody, but together, we can make each day just that little bit more special.
