There's nothing worse than being sick. Well, I was sick yesterday and I'm sick today! So what do I do to amuse myself? I write to work and ask for them to send me work to do at home, and I blog.

Alrighty! Let's get to it, Kiddies!! Today's topic is inspired by recent articles posted in the Toronto Star in homage to the pending International Women's Day (March 8).

Historically, the day was established by the United Nations to celebrate progress gained in the quest for equality between the sexes. It also is a day to reflect on the steps needed in order to further this goal to greater levels of equality in the future.

Now this year, we have a bumper crop of women politicians, business women and women in various sorts of positions of power. However, does true equality solely lie in the attainment of high profile positions and professions? I will push to say no.

Femenism is a dirty word. Recently only 20% of women said they consider themselves femenists and an even more recent quote published in the New York Sun, by Alicia Cohen, then republished in the Toronto Star is appauling. "I confess that when it comes to feminists, I've always been completely uninterested in anything feminists had to say," she wrote. "The fight for women's rights was initially waged on a bitter anti-male battleground that held little interest to me as a young woman. Protesters eschewed serious issues and instead rallied at the use of words such as `broad,' `honey,' and `sweetie,' which were anathema to liberated females."

Listen sweetie, those femenists of yesterday were tough broads who fought hand tooth and nail so that you could have the ability and the freedom to write that trite piece of drivel in the Sun. But, honestly, who reads the Sun anyway?

This is what we've come to, a post femenism world where over processed Barbie doll sexuality is exuded from "The Best" in our society. Socialites refuse university and further education in favour of collagen, low cut dresses and making fun of a hard days work. Entertainers bow down to the pressure to forever look 10 years younger and massacre themselves gradually so they may have the perfect nose sculpted without causing a buzz.

What have we come to? When I did pageants, albeit a bold move, I did it and made a mark that women can fall under a more curvacious and acceptable form while being able to uphold a conversation and finally to answer questions regarding any topic in a fair and educated way. Perhaps I didn't win much more than Miss Toronto or get further than top 12 at Miss World Canada. But, I hope that somewhere someone took notice.

True, many women feel the pressure to have a career and a home life. Often, one is sacrificed more for the other, often partners refuse to pitch in and assist in the daily chores, leaving women to literally, "Do it All". There are some women who are devalued in their decision to be a stay at home mother, a full time job not recognized as worthy of compensation by the government. If there was one advancement that I wish to be in place, would be for a stipend for stay at home mothers. This would acknowledge the worthy work they perform on a 24 hour basis. Perhaps even offer subsidized correspondance courses for at home mothers to complete at their leisure to assist those with no prior training a skill they can employ in an at home career, or after the children leave home.

I feel that now, femenism is less about bra burning and more about compramise. It's about understanding the present day pressures and making fair policies that add to their lives. If we don't start concerning ourselves with Femenism outside of mega watt power roles, I believe that we may be encouraging the wheel of progress to reverse. Because, not all women are CEO's or politicians, many women are housewives, torn between career and family.

Many women are starting off as young children, watching Paris Hilton whore it up, Nicole Richie praise anorexia and Jessica Simpson sudsing it up on a chevy. We need to make change, and we need to make it now.