‘Vaginas are very, very important’

**During International Women’s Week (IWW), [John Servante wrote](https://theboar.org/comment/2013/mar/7/tete-tete-do-we-need-international-womens-week/) a (highly ill-informed) piece berating the fact that there is no equivalent week of celebration for men, and suggested that IWW be cancelled.**

He also suggested that to create a “utopia of equality” men and women should all be treated the same and that “genitals don’t matter.”

These views are not only reductive and damaging to the progression of women’s rights, but they are in complete contrast to the dominant political doctrine of ‘developmentalists’ who argue that investing in women, and thus celebrating their difference, can break the poverty cycle – something that will of course benefit both sexes.

John is sick of women (and bizarrely enough, black people) “ruminating on the past” but the fact is, it is impossible to treat men and women the same when patriarchal practices and codes of behaviour are so entrenched in society. You can’t achieve equality by treating all groups the same, especially when said groups have been systematically marginalised and subjugated for years. This is why quotas in the public sphere are needed. A one–size-fits-all approach will not combat attitudes towards women in Saudia Arabia who are not allowed to drive, or girls in South Africa who are more likely to be raped than finish secondary school.

{{ quote Women are not ostrascising themselves by celebrating IWW, nor are they perpetuating an idea that they are superior to men – just different }}

Getting rid of IWW which raises awareness of these issues will only limit women further.
I’m not saying that men don’t have their own problems which deserve to be discussed: the high suicide rates, the fear of being emasculated for expressing emotion, poor paternity benefits at work etc but, if he feels so strongly about this, why doesn’t John help bring International Men’s Day to prominence? (It’s on November 19th, if you were wondering).

IWW provides a forum for debate and discussion on women’s issues and on campus – how can that be a bad thing? By calling for IWW to be cancelled John sounds at best threatened, and at worst narrow-minded. He is also perpetuating an idea that men and women are in a constant battle for rights, which shouldn’t be the case. Women aren’t ostrascising themselves by celebrating IWW, nor are they perpetuating the idea that they are superior to men – just different.

Many development experts and politicians across the world agree that women are vital in boosting the economy as they are more likely to reinvest earnings into their health, education or family which in turn benefits local communities. The UN states that a child is 20% more likely to survive in a developing country when the mother is in control of the money, as she is more caring and careful.

This is not to say that all father’s are reckless and selfish, but studies show that investing in the future of women will improve the socio-economic background of millions of people. Therefore John, genitals – and in this particular case vaginas – are very, very important.