Google kindly reminded us that today’s international women’s day. It’s a shame that even in times of supposed equality the number of women musicians, writers and artists (not to mention world leaders and other positions of power) is so low compared to men. It’s a shame that people still assume that if a woman is a feminist she hates men, that if she’s in a band the band sucks, that if she’s into music it’s because she once had a boyfriend who was into music, that if she has a good job she had to fuck somebody to get it, that if she likes to have sex with multiple partners she is a slut, that if she doesn’t want to get married she is weird, that if she writes it’s probably chick lit and that if she has short hair she’s a lesbian. What’s even worse is that this train of thought is so common that women often think like that. I find it unbelievable that some women are happy to live their lives like their grandmothers did, that an ideal of femininity that has been outdated for decades is still forced upon us and that the mere existence of a holiday celebrating women is still necessary.
But let’s stop moaning and celebrating the existence of some of my favourite ladies, shall we?
Coco Chanel, fashion designer
It’s probably sort of ironic to begin with a fashion designer, but Chanel isn’t only a symbol of luxury and femininity, but one of independence. Chanel’s now iconic designs were extremely simple (and somewhat eccentric) for the time, and they fred women from the constricting and elaborate corsets and head pieces characteristic of the 19th century. Or in three words: Little Black Dress. You know you have one.
Virginia Woolf, writer
“For most of history, anonymous was a woman”
“The history of men’s opposition to women’s emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself. “
Marilyn Monroe, actress
“A sex symbol becomes a thing. I hate being a thing.“
“How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself”
Marilyn Monroe was so clever that she succeeded in making the entire world she was a dumb blonde, and she took full advantage of it. She went to university to study literature and art, and actively supported the presence of females in higher education. She also started her own production company after her disenchantment with Hollywood’s studio system. Respect.
Concepción Arenal, writer and key figure in Spain’s feminist movement.
In 1841 Concepción Arenal went to university against her family’s wishes dressed as a man, as women weren’t allowed to attend lectures at the time. She also used her disguise to attend political and literary debates.
Mary Cassatt, painter
Diane Arbus, photographer
Katharine Hepburn, actress
Best actress of all time, and this is not an opinion, it’s a fact backed by the fact that she’s the actress with the most Oscars AND three of them were awarded when she was over 60 (hey Academy, we agree at last!). Hepburn often played independent women whose careers were their priority, something quite modern for the time. Remember Jo in Little Women? It seems that Kate was very much like her. Famous for her tomboy style and dislike of make up, Katharine never married, but was committed enough to make a pause in her career to look after Spencer Tracy (her married lover of 25 years) during his illness. She disliked Hollywood and refused to conform to its norms, to the point that she never attended the Oscars. She supported women’s rights and was a board member of Planned Parenthood. She died at the age of 96 and regularly exercised into old age. She worked until she was 87 years old. She is #1 in my list.
Gerda Taro, photographer
A lot of people are familiar with the name of Robert Capa, photographer and founder of the Magnum agency. Not so many people know the name of Gerda Taro. Capa’s signature photograph is this one taken during the Spanish Civil War.
During the war Capa and Taro published their work together under Capa’s name. In fact some people argue that the soldier’s photo was taken by Gerda herself. She is considered to be the first female war photojournalist and the first to die at her job. She died at the age of 26. After her death her work was largely ignored and often attributed to Capa.
Amy Heckerling, film director
She wrote AND directed Clueless, one of the greatest films ever. If only men took it seriously rather than thinking of it as a simple chick flick.
Simone de Beauvoir, writer
“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”
“No one is more arrogant toward women, more aggressive or scornful, than the man who is anxious about his virility.”
“Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with absolute truth.”
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For every woman I could think of about 10 men. So, ladies, get creating, writing, photographing and film-making. And please, never stop doing it.
