थिस इस वहत इ त्रिएद टू सेंड टू माय फ्रिएंदस इन facebook

Surfing to find info about the celebrations that will be held in Santiago tomorrow to commemorate Women's day, I was gladly surprised to find this post on the Web. Amazingly, it's written by a guy, David Sasaki, 2 years ago (you might find it at: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2006/03/09/feliz-da-de-la-mujer/...).

I think Sasaki's post points out interesting facts and figures, and since I strongly believe in the power of communication, and I also believe the gender cause is a worth one especially from the developing world, I want to share parts of it with you.

… Besides today it is Women day, to all of us: A GREAT DAY, some reading that goes with it won’t kill any. To the men who are reading this, jus humored me, you might get some lights... here it goes:

" You certainly don't need to speak Spanish to feel the raised hairs on your neck as you watch this moving video, edited by Argentine blogger Malearg, which recounts the progress and achievements made by women across the globe".

I couldn't see the mentioned video, but perhaps you can (so if someone find it and sends it to back to me, I will appreciate it truly. You probably know by now I am the worst techno user ever, so any help is welcome). But besides the video, to me it is more important the fact that, despite some presidential elections have been held already, the situation in the Latin-American region it's pretty much the same. About which, Sasaki continues:

"Erwin of The Latin Americanist points out that this year has brought to the region a “growth of female employment, but also a lack of quality jobs for women, and the prevalence of racial and gender discrimination.”

Then Sasaki goes to some figures and calculations done by others, about how few Spanish written blogs are done by women. Then I wonder, what is it really, well, the situation might have changed a little in two years and the blogsphere, but I just can not help to wonder. The logic says that -generally- women don't have the time, are busy working, taking care of the house, rising children, and all those. Plus women indeed have less opportunities (and maybe in the first world this can rise some eyebrows, but we have to face it, especially in developing countries -nuances vary- but women have less opportunities and play a totally different ball... and that is something that also affects participation, empowerment and gender conscience.

All those concepts are often read in papers and heard in political speeches, but they also have to be -and are to many- a daily exercise. Today, for example I went to a Women's day celebration at my office. The new Director (fortunately a smart young, progressive man, for a change!) invited all the women employees to have breakfast in a centric hotel, to talk, so he could hear the female community of employees. While designing the event I fought to make it one and half hour long, and even that period of time I thought it was going to be too short to let them all speak. And don't make me start to tell you, how many dinosaurian -male bosses in my organization- were against the whole thing in the first place.

Finally, this morning the event was a hit, a great success, all of us who went there had a very nice time, but amazingly enough just 8 of us (of approximately 100 women) asked for the microphone.

Afterward, when I comment on that fact to my female co workers, the common reply was, it is because we are not use to it... That reason came all the times. And I might tell you I asked around a lot, because it made me seriously wonder what is it with women and participation.

Well, that doesn’t constitute a sample, so I will continue with the post written by Sasaki -which actually inspired me to share all these thoughts with you, my friends from the facebook community (and most of you, my friends and beloved ones beyond facebook), David Sasaki quotes a Chilean blogger, Roberto Arancibia, who also wrote something, a little bit too sweet (as in sticky-honey-sweet) but since today is flower's day for women all over, here it goes what Arancibia says:

"'Day of the Woman. Even though every day is theirs. When I caught on that they are in charge of everything, from then on I've been happy. Seriously. That's the order of the universe. No need to fight against the current. That's just how it goes".

And then Arancibia goes poetic: "Some time ago I wrote the same thing here and I continue to feel that way. Although, in reality, now I believe it even more. I continue to think it's useless to try and understand their secret languages, their moments of silence, their desire to talk. They are accomplices in solidarity with each other, but enemies when they feel threatened. Bodies and souls. Judgement and seduction. Minds and heart. Mysteries of the woman, mysteries of the world. 100 lives I have lived loving them yet still I do not understand. And so, a very happy day. To all. To each I owe something".Well, two years later, I have to thanks the words of this Chilean sweet talker, isn't him? Perhaps he is honest, perhaps he is nothing but a clueless sweet talker like all men who like to write about women's mysteries... I don't know, and –for good or bad- I don’t really care.

Sasaki then quotes: Maria Pastora - also from Santiago, Chile - on her views about the day and why there is not a male equivalent. Since I totally shared what Maria Pastora wrote, here it is:

"More than once, some guy has asked me why he doesn't have his own “International Day.” According to them, it's unjust that they are not celebrated. To commemorate a day for our feminine gender has its background which - more than historic - is “vindicative.” [”reinvindicatorio” in Spanish]. “To reclaim/restore something which is rightfully theirs” is the first definition by the Real Academia Española of the term “to vindicate. And defined so, with permission of the guys and without encouraging argument, it's a day that corresponds to us.

… since the beginning, men have been celebrated day after day in public as leaders and recognizable figures. Let us celebrate the International Day of Women, the silent work of women behind the scenes, where they receive no applause and from where today we are beginning to understand just how much they deserve this deed".

Finally, to all my women friends, have a great day. And to all my male friends, congrats to read until this point, no wonder you are one of my people. Lots of love today and always, Lola.