ALL THE QUESTIONS you had about International Women’s Day, answered…

Happy International Women’s Day! Do women get a day off?

Sadly not in Ireland. (BOOOOOO.)

However, the day is an official holiday in many countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, Afghanistan, Vietnam and many more.

International Women’s Day is a public holiday in Russia on March 8. Most banks, official buildings and educational institutions are closed on this day, although shops and kiosks usually stay open. Public transport may run less frequently than usual.

Countries like Cameroon, Croatia, Romania, Chile and Serbia also go to great lengths to observe the day despite it not being an official public holiday.

Okay, do women get presents?

Again, that’s not really a thing in Ireland, but it is a custom in other countries.

For example, women in Italy are given bouquets of yellow mimosas. (Flowers, not prosecco-based cocktails.)

HINT HINT, LADS.

AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Why do we need an International Women’s Day?

Straight from the horse’s mouth:

International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. Yet progress has slowed in many places across the world, so global action is needed to accelerate gender parity.

While women have undoubtedly made great strides, there is still a great deal of work to be done before we achieve gender equality.

Take Ireland, for instance.

Here in Ireland, a woman’s place in the home is still enshrined in Bunreacht na hÉireann. We have some of the most restrictive abortion legislation in the European Union. We have a woefully low conviction rate for instances of rape and sexual assault.

We have poor parliamentary representation – just 22% of elected TDs are women. We still have a significant gender pay gap.

Ireland may be progressive in some ways, but we have failed women time and time again, and continue to do so. Let International Women’s Day mark the progress we have made, while highlighting the ways we have to go before achieving true equality.

*smirks* But why isn’t there an International Men’s Day?

There is. It’s November 19th. Saved you a tweet.

Can you celebrate International Women’s Day while wearing a bikini?

Daily Mail Daily Mail

Let’s run through this one last time:

You can celebrate International Women’s Day if you have boobs. You can celebrate International Women’s Day if you have an arse. You can celebrate International Women’s Day if you take selfies. You can celebrate International Women’s Day if you wear bikinis and sunbathe. You can celebrate International Women’s Day if you wear short skirts or tight jeans.

Despite what absolute bores will try to tell you, you’re not a hypocrite and you’re not betraying the sisterhood if you “display your posterior in a sun-bathing belfie” on International Women’s Day.

In fact, if the Daily Mail feels that strongly about gender equality, maybe they ought to stop reducing female celebrities to body parts, eh?

Daily Mail Daily Mail

Can brands celebrate International Women’s Day?

They can, but it’s embarrassing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Can Piers Morgan celebrate International Women’s Day?

For the love of God, let’s not give Piers Morgan any oxygen today.

Piers Morgan / Twitter Piers Morgan / Twitter / Twitter

Finally, here’s some good International Women’s Day reading for you…

• 14 brilliant books by Irish women you really ought to read >
• 20 books every woman should read in her lifetime >
• 10 struggles of being a feminist in Ireland >
• 18 more deadly female presenters on Irish radio >
• 14 things that make Irish gals so bloody brilliant >
• 15 seriously amazing Irish women to aspire to >

Giphy Giphy

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