Women should not be the target audience for International Women’s Day

Sir, – I was enthralled by your recent article “Forget pinkwashing on International Women’s Day – this is what Irish women need” (Opinion, March 4th).

I have noticed International Women’s Day celebrations – meant to address systemic inequality – are ironically treated socially as a “women-only” project.

The social media campaigns, corporate workshops and local cultural events that celebrate the day are largely organised and attended by women.

Women should not be the target audience for International Women’s Day – it needs to be men that spend time reflecting and educating themselves on the despair so many women feel existing in a world that is so unequal.

RM Block

Try today’s Daily Eight: A new eight-clue Irish Times crossword

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When people counter with “men are murdered and abused too” they ignore the common denominator. Statistics consistently show that the primary perpetrators of violence against both men and women are, overwhelmingly, other men.

This International Women’s Day, let’s stop applauding women for their resilience and start demanding that men dismantle the systemic barriers that make that resilience necessary. – Yours, etc,

HOLLY MEADE-KENNEDY,

Kildare.