To celebrate International Women’s Day we asked our writers to tell us about the women who inspire them.
By Simran Kaur Takhi
What a great way to celebrate international women’s day by paying homage to one of the most prominent feminists of modern times: Caitlin Moran.
Since her award winning literary debut How to Be a Women back In 2011, Caitlin has been inspiring women and men of all ages to discuss what it means to be a women in an era of growing misogyny.
So, why has Caitlin risen to become such a prominent figure in modern times? Well to put it simply, she talks about taboo subjects in a way like no other. Thanks to Caitlin’s sparkling wit and humour, subjects previously seen as cultural taboos such as abortion, masturbation, periods, body hair and promiscuity, to name a few, are voiced with a grace and elegance that can’t help but empower generations of women and young girls, despite the stigma that is unfortunately still attached to them.
These issues need to be brought to attention because they are all essentially, real issues that affect real women and by being writing about them in depth. With the use of humour, these issues become much more accessible to the wider public.
In relation to the subject of abortion Caitlin once stated:
‘One in three women in the Western world will end up having an abortion, but they never talk about it. When you keep silent about that stuff, it is because you are embarrassed by the societal distaste of the topic.’
Caitlin is an instrumental figure in abolishing societal distaste for issues that relate to women. She makes it clear to a generation of young girls and women that such issues shouldn’t be shied away from but rather, should be discussed in a way that empowers women and this is evident though her books and interviews.
And that is why I’m celebrating Caitlin Moran this International Women’s Day.
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