International Women’s Day

Great Expectations/Μεγάλες Προσδοκίες

‘*Great Expectations’ illustration by Angela Zafiris*

Happy International Women’s day!

The drawing is a comparison of two generations of women. So much has changed in a hundred years.

When I compare my generation with my mother’s and my grandmother’s I can’t believe how different each generation is.

For example, the women from my grandmother’s generation were only required to get married and have lots of children, do some farm work, and that’s about it.

With my mothers’ generation, women were expected to get married, have a few children, get a job, be great cooks, cleaners and hosts.

Then with my generation of women, we are still expected to get married, have children (maybe one or two), get a higher education, be great chefs, mothers (helicopter mother), wives (no nagging), cleaners, and hosts. But, then there is more added to the plate. She must have impeccable hygiene, dress stylish, be classy, get plastic surgery, be extremely knowledgable- a walking encyclopedia, learn many languages, have many skills and hobbies, have many friends, experiences, travel the world, do men’s work etc.

We have more options, opportunities and equality than ever before, but too much has been put on our plates. A modern woman has to be an extraordinary human being. The bar has been set very high. No excuses anymore. Not with all the options that women before us didn’t have. And although some women can achieve many things in their life, not all women can or even want to…

This type of life is exhausting, and only for people who are made of steel, with never-ending energy deposits, and who possess iron-clad stomachs.

There have been many surveys published in the recent years that have revealed that women are more stressed than men https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/women-stress

According to the survey more and more women feel burned out due to having to balance their home life with a career. Also, they don’t feel that men contribute enough. The truth is that young women today have been exploited and burnt out by modern society. The majority of modern women are over-worked, stressed, angry, anxiety-ridden, and financially insecure. This is a topic that is not discussed enough in any country, as it should be.

The Thinker/Η Σκεπτομενη

In light of International Woman’s Day I decided to draw my feminine take on ‘The Thinker’ or ‘Thinking Man’ sculpture created by the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker

I drew the woman with military boots and jeans to show her tough, more ‘masculine’ side, but over all appearance is more feminie. As some are more masculine, while others are strongly feminie, and others have both sides.

I often wonder how different our world would be today if women were always empowered-since ancient times. If women played more roles in society other than that of mother or wife or slave or prostitute. If her voice mattered in society, were there have been less wars? Would humanity have been far less destructive and more compassionate and peace loving?

For more information: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” – Plato

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” – Sun Tzu

“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” – Ernest Hemingway

Katharsis/Κάθαρση

Happy International Women’s day!

I love the word katharsis. It is derived from the Greek word ‘καθαρση’. It means a cleansing and purging of the soul. And we have seen a lot of purging lately. A purging of the truth.

In the past few years we have seen more and more people speak up and reveal their truths. Silence isn’t so golden anymore. The important and extremely necessary #metoo movement began in the U.S in 2006 by Tarana Burke. The movement finally took hold in Greece this year. Many shocking revelations about abuse and sexual harassment in the sphere of theater and sports and beyond were brought to the surface. Many people were shocked to the core. But, was it really that shocking? Didn’t everyone already know? What was shocking was that women and even men were speaking up about a very taboo and sensitive issue so publicly.

The tide has finally changed and years of misogyny and abuse is finally being discussed and dealt with. It’s not about hating men, but hating on what the terrible things that they’ve done. I believe that men are geniuses. That they are truly very talented. Not just because of their achievements like their inventions, architecture, philosophy, mathematics etc. but for the fact they, for hundreds of years, have convinced women that they are weak, inferior and stupid. That women have nothing to contribute to society. That their only contribution is to bear a man his children. That they have to get married for the purpose of serving him. This is their only purpose in life.

That is truly genius!

I’m glad that women are finally speaking out all over the world. And fighting for their rights. For equal pay for the end of violence and harassment towards women. These are truly remarkable times we are living in. Women who, in the past, would never dare call themselves feminists are now waking up and are changing their minds. Many men finally feel a sense of shame-as they should. And I am here for it!

Happy International Women’s Day!

‘The Little Misogynist’-Illustration by Angela Zafiris

The illustration depicts the verbal abuse from males than many women experience on the street.

“A new UN report has found at least 90% of men and women hold some sort of bias against females.”

“According to the index, about half of the world’s men and women feel that men make better political leaders, and over 40 percent feel that men make better business executives and that men have more right to a job when jobs are scarce. 28 percent think it is justified for a man to beat his wife.”

Uhhh yes men are better leaders that is why the whole world is in turmoil!! And if your wife burns your omelette it’s okay to beat her, your not a psychopath!!

What a crazy world we live in!

https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/news-centre/news/2020/Gender_Social_Norms_Index_2020.html