International Women's Day

As, Richard Herring will constantantly point out on Twitter today, International Men's Day is the 19th of November. I love his work and dedication to this cause because men are important too; we mustn't forget them.

On the 19th of November we should think about all the jobs that are considered to be men's work and lament about how poorly paid they are. We should worry about the four thousand (sorry, I mean seventeen - still too many) men that are killed by their partners every year in the UK. We should worry about the men who live in countries where they are not allowed to drive, leave the house or breathe without their wife's permission. We should make a furious noise about the boys that still don't receive an education while their sisters do. Maybe we could get a national paper to scrabble around to find 50 male CEOs and put their pictures on the front page (and when that's too difficult make the shortfall up with actors that have played CEO)  Male pop stars could get upset that their songs are only heard if they dance around in their pants. We could get really angry at the Guardian's Page 3 Willy of the Day, staring at us over our cornflakes and get really cross about the female editors that exploit men in this way.

My wish for International Women's Day is that one day it will be glossed over as much as the Men's day is. There are a few women jumping up and down and saying that we don't need a day for Women (see today's Independent) and I am really pleased for them. Their experience of the world must be a great one: feeling that they have parity of respect and pay to a man. My personal experience is pretty good too but it doesn't stop me wanting the same for others.

Mother's Day is another day that is celebrated much more than Father's Day. "Let's give our Mum a day off!" the children cry, "Come on Dad, we can make up for a whole year of taking advantage of her for one day, can't we?" If you are lucky enough, like me, to share parenting with a Long Suffering Husband then Mother's Day might pass with a droopy bunch of daffodils and a sarcastic card, and you will be grateful that your day is pretty much like every other day.

I'd like a world where the website for International Women's Day is more concerned with the parking arrangements than a long list of inequalities.