Abbie Chatfield slams International Women’s Day morning teas
Former Bachelor contestant Abbie Chatfield has slammed International Women’s Day morning teas with her post resonating with thousands.
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Abbie Chatfield has slammed International Women’s Day morning teas, claiming “a cupcake isn’t going to help”.
In a lengthy Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the former Bachelor contestant explained she finds it difficult to get excited about celebrations “ordered by male CEOs”.
The 26-year-old said that while there is a “huge amount of work to be done” when it comes to women’s rights, she felt like many of the celebrations were performative.
“I’ve always found it difficult to get excited about attending a morning tea organised BY women FOR women, and for the same women to clean up, ordered by male CEOs to ‘do something nice for the office’, as though the emotional labour they exert to throw the morning tea for themselves isn’t counterintuitive to the whole idea of celebrating,” Chatfield said. “As though women aren’t the ones constantly expected to throw the parties in the office for free, just because ‘women are better at it’! (We call this ‘weaponised incompetence’.)”
Chatfield went on to explain the history of International Women’s Day stating it began as a protest demanding equality.
“Today, there are still leaps and bounds to do. Every day women are discriminated against, sexually assaulted, murdered, abused and marginalised. WOC [women of colour] suffer this to an even greater degree, as do trans and queer women,” she wrote.
“A cupcake isn’t going to help that.”
The star – who hosts a podcast and new radio show – said what she would actually like to see happen on the day is “paid and diverse educators (organised MONTHS in advance) to attend workplaces and places of education and get in on the ground level”.
She said: “I want education around consent, DV [domestic violence] and SA [sexual assault] rates, how the wage gap actually works, and what men can do to actually help.”
Chatfield said she doesn’t want a male CEO to be patted on the back for “gathering everyone into the kitchen for morning tea, set up by his female staff, to say, ‘Thanks for all the hard work ladies!’ to then head back to his office where women are paid less and harassed more”.
She wants to see serious and robust meetings with voices from inside and outside company structures to analyse company culture.
“We need actual eduction that reaches those who don’t want to listen. We don’t need a f***ing cupcake.”
The 26-year-old directed her Instagram caption to “people doing the actual work”.
“The people who are listening to that work, and the women being made to organise bulls**t morning teas.”
She clocked more than 30,000 likes on her post with support from celebrities, influencers and followers alike, including fitness star Steph Claire Smith and fellow Bachelor contestant Cat Henesey-Smith.
“OMG you have summed up everything I have been feeling for today. I refuse to go to some morning tea and eat a cupcake and pretend we are treated equally and supported,” one follower wrote.
“It’s like you’ve read my mind. I legit saw a sale promo email saying, ‘20 per cent off for IWD’ and I’m just like TF? Since when are we capitalising and corporatising women’s rights?” said another.
Chatfield has also been very vocal in her support of the “change the date” movement, condemning Aussies for celebrating Australia Day despite the fact it is a day of mourning for First Nations people.
Originally published as Abbie Chatfield slams International Women’s Day morning teas
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