周六赶上了三八妇女节，天气又特别好，于是出门逛个街。
其实一般来说周末我都不太乐意逛街，尤其是天气好的日子里。在法国的这几年，似乎每个周末都会有集体散步活动，或者公共交通系统罢工或事故。常常会面临有车出门没车回家的状况。而且越是天气好，遇上状况的概率越大。
大概就算找个理由出门晒太阳吧，毅然决然出门了。然后果然满满当当都是人，满满当当都是自行车，而且满满当当都是狗，仿佛全巴黎的狗都被拎出来遛了。百思不得其解，最后到了le bon marche终于get到了答案，原来是爱狗日的活动，商场一楼全是狗。。。
妇女节赶上爱狗日，总感觉哪里有些不对。
Anyway，买买买之后火速出门，赶去吃晚饭。路过的每一个花店都在排大队。然后我就在想，“女人喜欢花”这算不算是性别刻板现象。但喜欢花这件事儿本身倒也不算是被贬低被扭曲的特质。所以这个念头很快就飘散了。
三年前的此时我大概在读《家庭，私有制和国家的起源》，还录了一个小视频讲了讲女性在职场的经验和感受。今年的此时我恰好在读《社会学主要思潮》，也是赶巧了。
往前数两百年，女性在法律上不能视作自然人，只能通过婚姻被视为丈夫的一部分，也就是丈夫和妻子合起来算一个人。所以最早那波女权运动努力争取的是女性的“存在权”。感谢前辈，现在我是不仅存在，还拥有丰富多彩的人生。
往前数四五十年，1970年代是法国女权主义运动的重要时期，这一时期涌现了众多里程碑事件和知名女性（也有男性），她们努力呼吁消除性别之间的法律和社会壁垒，或者更大的平等。比较值得一提的是在1975年，法国通过了《韦尔法法案》，使堕胎合法化。这是女性权利运动的一大胜利。同时女性的就业机会也得到了拓展，可以开始从事高级职位而不仅仅是秘书或打字员这种初级职位。感谢前辈，现在2025年的我对自己的工作内容很满意。
与此同时，或者更早些，法国的不少女权主义者开始全方位地去女性化，拒绝紧身胸衣高跟鞋，拒绝粉色，大家集体穿起黑白灰。似乎今时今日法国女性也还在延续这种风格。
激进女权主义也开始涌现，个人感觉这个分支也是现在很多人反感的那部分 – 很多人并不了解比如自由女权或者社会正义女权的派别和主张，以为女权就等于激进女权主义。所以导致现在很多女性会公开表态“我不是女权“，或者一旦是异性恋就会被视为是女权主义者的叛徒。在近几年，事情演变得很魔幻，人类的阅读理解能力逐年下降，常常看到几拨观点完全不一样的人，被打上同样的标签。
与激进女权主义相对应，另一部分女权主义者也在不断更新她们的观点和主张，比如不再主张去性别化，而是说我的身体我做主，我的审美我做主，女权主义也可以喜欢化妆，女权主义也可以是异性恋。我大概算是不那么激进的，（个人观点）女权主义实践的最终理想状态应该是社会系统以人为单位进行设计，每个人都能找到属于自己的位置。但我也很现实，理想状态在我的有生之年应该是见不到了。
其实西蒙娜·韦依几十年前就说过，女性能够为今天我们所生活的这个社会做出很多贡献，她们应该可以选择不同的绽放光彩的方式，她们可以是职业女性，可以是政治家，她们也可以是家庭妇女，像她们自己的母亲或祖母一样，只要她们觉得那是幸福的。幸福是一种个人体验，幸福也是一种内在的状态。意识到人生的荒谬，并坚持活下去，这本身就是一种幸福。最后祝大家幸福快乐。
Saturday happened to be International Women’s Day, and the weather was exceptionally nice, so I went out for a walk.
Actually, I’m generally not keen on shopping on weekends, especially on sunny days. During my years in France, it seems like every weekend involves mass demostrations, or strikes, or accidents. I often find myself in the situation of able to go to city centre but not being able to get back home. And the better the weather, the higher the probability of encountering such situations (nobody wants to work in sunny days).
Just to get some sunshine, so I went out. And sure enough, it was full of people everywhere, full of bicycles, and full of dogs—it was as if every dog in Paris had been taken out for a walk. 30 mins later, I finally understood why when I got to Le Bon Marché: it was a dog welfare event, and the entire first floor of the mall was filled with dogs…
Women’s Day coinciding with Dog Welfare Day, just felt a little off.
Anyway, after my shopping spree, I rushed out to get some dinner. Every flower shop I passed had a long queue. Then I wondered if “women liking flowers” was a gender stereotype. But liking flowers isn’t inherently a demeaning or distorted thing. So that thought quickly faded.
Three years ago at this time, I was probably reading The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, and even recorded a short video about women’s experiences and feelings in the workplace. This year at this time, I’m coincidentally reading Major Trends in Sociology.
Two hundred years ago, women weren’t legally considered natural persons; they were only considered as supplements of their husbands through marriage—husband and wife together were considered one person. Therefore, the earliest wave of feminism fought for women’s “right to exist.” Thanks to my predecessors, I now not only exist, but also have a rich and fulfilling life.
Four or five decades earlier, the 1970s were a crucial period for the French feminist movement. This period saw numerous milestone events and prominent women (and men) advocating for the elimination of legal and social barriers between genders, or greater equality. Of particular note is the 1975 passage of the Welfair Law in France, which legalized abortion. This is a major victory for the women’s rights movement. At the same time, women’s employment opportunities have expanded, allowing them to pursue higher-level positions rather than just entry-level roles like secretaries or typists. Thanks to my predecessors, I’m very satisfied with my job in 2025.
Meanwhile, or even earlier, many French feminists began a comprehensive de-feminization movement, rejecting corsets and high heels, refusing pink color, and collectively adopting black, white, and gray. It seems that French women are still following this trend today – “chic”.
Radical feminism has also emerged, and I feel this branch is the one that many people now find objectionable – many people don’t understand the different factions and propositions of liberal feminism or social justice feminism, just assuming that feminism is equivalent to radical feminism. This leads to many women publicly stating “I am not a feminist,” or being heterosexual being seen as a traitor to feminism. In recent years, things have become quite surreal; we often see groups with completely different viewpoints being labeled with the same tag.
In contrast to radical feminism, another group of feminists is constantly updating their views and propositions. For example, they no longer advocate for gender de-sexization, but rather say, “I am the master of my body, I am the master of my aesthetics.” Feminism can also include wearing makeup, and feminism can be heterosexual. I probably consider myself less radical; (in my personal opinion) the ultimate ideal state of feminist practice should be a social system designed around individuals, where everyone can find their place. But I’m also realistic; I doubt I’ll see this ideal state in my lifetime.
In fact, Simone Weil said decades ago that women can make many contributions to the society we live in today. They should be able to choose different ways to shine. They can be career women, politicians, or housewives, like their own mothers or grandmothers, as long as they feel happy.
Happiness is a personal experience, and it’s also an inner state. Recognizing the absurdity of life and persisting in living is itself a kind of happiness.
I wish everyone happiness and joy.