MARCH 8 is International Women’s Day, and to celebrate, we dedicated our #RAGEchat session last week to all the women out there.

We asked our readers why they thought celebrating #IWD was important, what the challenges were for young women in this day and age, and also, how they thought women have progressed and if they were vocal enough about our needs:

@clamaty: to celebrate and remember that women are equal with men

@NadiahZ: It raises awareness from domestic abuse to gender equality to female empowerment and more. I think that’s why it’s important.

@AjeerahMean: it’s important to inspire women and celebrate women’s success.

@phyllishsy: It’s great that women today are starting to stand out and speak up. Let’s hope that more women will rise up and not be idle

@zomg_its_rin: As much as I’d love to think we are, or at least getting to be, there’re still a majority of women who stay quiet.

@NadiahZ: More and more women are getting vocal. But I know some traditionalists that believes that women should just submit to men

@phyllishsy: i guess it depends on individuals. Some might not be too vocal, perhaps coz they see themselves as being inferior to men so they think that their suggestions/ideas are not good enough for society to value them

@ruxyn: no, women like to subtly demand for something don’t we? 😛 not directly most of the time 😛

@FlapJacqs: not very. afraid of making people dislike us or think we are too needy. xD

@phyllishsy: kudos to housewives! They work 24/7 without any holiday at all!! Esp those with no maids. Like my mom – big thanks to her 🙂

@hannahwenshin: mostly leadership posts or more heavy tasks are given to men just because they are apparently more capable.

@AjeerahMean: At workplace – men always think that women do not have leadership qualities.

@NadiahZ: Well, there’s always gender bias. As a young woman in a culture where men are always superior, you can never get away from it.

@eedachan: for a working mother like me, the challenge is always on balancing between career and family

@hannahwenshi: discrimination on the ability to do something.

@ruxyn: working with men! some guys will inferior if a young women takes charge and they would have to follow. ego bites them :1

@ruxyn: in a lot of culture,men r considered more superior & r more respected than women.bt things have changed.IWD acknowledges women

>> We took a quick break from the #IWD topic to run a contest to give away The Vow movie merchandise, which in the end, turned into a separate #RAGEchat session with our readers sharing their thoughts on love and the film’s premise. One reader even tweeted her own’s family’s story, which is quite similar to what happened in the film (which is based on a true story):

@ruxyn: dad suffered frm memory lost 16 years ago due 2brain complications,cannot register new memory.mum supported d family till now. =).. there’s a lot of questions of WHY. but we just need to hang in there sometimes when it’s difficult =]

@Vayshna: I think it makes ppl believe that true love can exist even in dire circumstances and when all hope seems lost!

@tcchip: ‘I forgot’ should be an acceptable answer for any of the #ragethevow question this time. It’s in spirit with the movie! 😛

@syaziqer: Nothing in life is impossible in order to have your loved ones in your arms again.

@phyllishsy: true love is always inspiring! it also teaches us not to give up on life eventhough it’s tough.

@NadiahZ: Hmm, I suppose it proves that if you have faith in something, everything will turn out okay in the end.