International Women's Day

Have you heard of Harriet Martineau? She was way ahead of her time in so many ways and I think her contribution to women's studies is very undervalued. She was a contemporary of Darwin (came close to marrying his brother), a secularist, an abolitionist, feminist, supporter of women's education........and almost nobody I know has heard of her.

No ga hadn't heard of her, but I see there is a lot of information on her and her family, when I Googled her. I'm going to read some more about her. I see she was also a children's author. I like this page of her quotes:

www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/harriet_martineau.html

Octavia Hill. There was a really interesting programme about her the other day. Built clean and solid affordable homes to rent to the poor, campaigned to save green open spaces in cities from development and founded the National Trust. Born 1838.

Lilygran I had never made the connection, but just been reading about Octavia Hill and see that Octavia Housing (on the Register of Social Landlords, Investors in People) in South London has developed from her work, providing housing for the poor, and nowadays affordable housing. What an impresive woman she was. She was born 100 years ago last year, so just missed her centenary.

Bess of Hardwick. I just read The Other Queen by Phillipa Gregory. About Mary Q of Scots and Bess.
Bess was a poor woman who married 3 husbands (who all died) and actively managed their money and land until she was very wealthy. Then she married the Earl of Shrewsbury. Things went wrong when MQS was billeted on them. The Earl allowed her to spend his fortune, living in the manner to which she was accustomed. QE1 never paid them a penny for looking after her.
Bess eventually managed to extract herself with a chunk of her wealth intact, separate from the earl and managed her own business affairs successfully from that time on. I am guessing the author was able to see a lot of her original accounts as part of her research. So a trailblazer for the ability of women to succeed in management and accounting.

Margaret Bourke-White - Photojournalist. (Not unknown though)

Bourke-White was the first female war correspondent and the first woman to be allowed to work in combat zones during World War II.

I've just finished an English lesson with a female Russian student who quite formally wished me "Happy International Women's Day" on her arrival and apologised for not bringing me a gift!!! . We had a fascinating discussion on how, in Russia, International Women’s Day is often celebrated among family or friends with a special celebration meal and drinks. Most women receive flowers, cards and gifts and TV programmes pay tribute to the achievements of famous Russian women. It's also a public holiday in Russia. Most banks, official buildings and schools are closed for the day. (But the shops stay open.) At the same time it is still regarded as perfectly 'normal' for the "alpha male husband to beat his wife if he wants to" and no-one would dream of calling the police or interfering if they observed domestic violence.

wow. quite a contrast activist
My sad IWD moment was when I asked school librarian what girls like reading. "They ask for stories about things like alcoholic fathers and child abuse quite often" was the reply.

A sideways look at International Woman's Day - or "Awkward Old Trout Day"

here

Thanks, Butty. I don't agree with her. I don't want a day off from feminism, not unless feminsm is no longer needed.

I'm incline to agree with you, when, but it made me smile - pure Suzanne Moore.

Yes, made me smile, too - I rather like the idea of being an Awkward Old Trout