March 8th of every year is International Women’s Day, an event that has a long history going back to 1909. It’s a good opportunity to reflect on how far things have come in the past 110 years and how far things still have to go. This year Google celebrated the day with one of its doodles:
I didn’t realize that Google has a theme for its 2019 doodles, “When I grow up, I hope…” and that they’re accepting submissions for doodles until March 18, 2019. The fact that International Women’s Day isn’t more widely celebrated, or even recognized in some places, reminded me of some pictures I saw a few months ago, pictures with statements that seem obvious but that still need to be said:
These are very powerful images and, given the area, I suspect they’re mainly aimed at men going into or coming out of the bars and restaurants in the neighborhood, places where they might meet single women. The problem is the placement of these particular posters. This is where I found them:
They were in a back alley where it’s unlikely anyone would see them, where it was purely an accident that I’d see them. That the statements these posters make need to be said is a comment on how far we still have to go, and where these posters were placed is an even stronger comment on that.
this post should be picked up by the ap, if there still is an ap. or sent to now, if there still is a now. i challenge all your readers, astute, tech-savvy, and lavishly web-connected, to give this piece the exposure it merits.
There is still an AP and in fact on Friday I was in the First Amendment Center in Nashville where there’s an AP office. I don’t think this post needs much promotion but fortunately the Stop Telling Women To Smile movement (the #STWTS on the posters) is getting attention.
Thanks for owning this blog, Chris.
Thank you, Ann, for once again owning the comment section.