This year we have decided to ignore International Women's Day

March 8th marks the International Women’s Rights Day. Impossible to miss. For weeks, we’ve been bombarded with themed ads, perfect gift suggestions for the women in our lives—and maybe even for ourselves—because indulging is always encouraged (or so the endless advertisements tell us). Instagram is filled with infographics featuring femicide statistics, reports of harassment, historical articles tracing the origins of this day, and endless recommendations on what to watch, read, eat, listen to, and where to go—to be prepared, to celebrate what is not a celebration. To reflect. To think. To take action. To enjoy time with friends. To spend money. We get it. We do it every year. Fine. So now what?

Does International Women’s Day still matter?

The truth is, we’re just exhausted. Tired of being urged to shop under the guise of a day meant for something else. But that’s consumerism and capitalism; that’s the era we live in. We’re tired of seeing our rights turned into flowers, themed pizza nights, and bar specials. Honestly, we’re even tired of infographics—despite the best intentions, they only fuel our cycle of anxiety and distress. And the comments? Even worse. They make us feel like no one understands, as if there’s an unbridgeable gap between the online feminist discourse and the conversations we overhear at the bar. Speaking of comments, we’re tired of reading anonymous teenagers praising Filippo Turetta on TikTok. We’re tired of pinkwashing. We’re tired of being afraid when walking home alone at night (and sometimes even during the day). We’re tired of having to carefully explain to men that women are human beings—because it’s absurd they can’t grasp it on their own. We’re tired of working hard for intersectionality and deconstruction in a broken world, surrounded by people who don’t even try to understand what deconstruction actually means. It may sound selfish, but that’s just how it is. And we’re sure we’re not the only ones feeling this way. So, what should International Women’s Day actually be for? In practical terms, we mean.

The burnout of social media feminism and the fight for gender equality in the West

We could borrow a popular workplace term and say we’re experiencing burnout. The burnout of March 8th, the burnout of being privileged, white women who feel powerless and desperate despite their privilege, watching what’s happening in Gaza, Palestine, the United States, and feeling like the world is collapsing. So now what? We say it every year, but unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—it remains true, 365 days a year, 24/7. The fight for gender equality must continue, but in real life. On ourselves and on others, relentlessly, without needing grand proclamations. Even if some tell us it has already been achieved, that in a fistfight we’d still lose, that feminism ruins families and corrupts the youth. Because the fight is still necessary, because perhaps things will get worse before they get better.

Turning exhaustion into motivation—away from social media

We need to rethink activism and what it has become in recent years. Without forgetting our privilege, but using it actively and proactively. Without forgetting the importance of community and care, of embracing our friends, of allowing ourselves to disconnect, of putting our money where our beliefs are. Of stepping away from Instagram. It’s a delicate balance, personal and complex. A first-world problem. But it’s unavoidable because we feel it. We feel the loss of hope. The apathy. And we can’t afford it—not for ourselves, nor for others. Maybe, though, we can start thinking about it on March 9th this year.