Women's Day

On March 8th - International Women's Day - we celebrate the women in our lives, note barriers to egalitarianism, and mark the progress society has made around the world.

The first Women's Day was launched in 1909, in the US, as part of a growing global movement to gain women basic legal rights, employment opportunities, and suffrage.

 

The event quickly spread to other nations, some of which created it a public holiday; and the UN endorsed the day internationally in 1975.

We're fortunate to live in a country where full suffrage was achieved decades ahead of most European nations.

Women around the world (and their supporters) continue to this day to fight for respect, safety, bodily autonomy, access to education and health care, and fair opportunities in life.

Button and banner images: Smithsonian Museum

 

Mimosa Day

The flower of International Women's Day, March 8th, is the mimosa - the European name for our native Acacia or wattle, usually Acacia dealbata, silver wattle.

This species grows to a large impressive tree, completely golden in full flower, with thousands of tiny fluffy pompoms, and distinctively feathery foliage.

 

This giving of wattle flowers is especially favoured in Italy, where Festa della Donna turns whole towns fluffy yellow on March 8.

It's encouraging to think our lovely golden Aussie wattle has helped to spread a message of equality and a fair go, around the world!

 

Torta Mimosa

There's even an Italian Torta Mimosa - mimosa cake - to celebrate. We're 100% behind any day that has its own cake.

Torta Mimosa comprises two or three layers of rich fluffy lemon-vanilla sponge cake, made in a rounded pan for the authentic domed shape. Pan di Spagna gives you a true Italian sponge cake recipe like nonna used to make, using six eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla sugar.

When baked and cooled, the cake is filled and covered with chantilly cream, creme patissiere, or crema diplomatica for real authenticity - a thick cream with five egg yolks, orange zest and strawberries.

The outside of the cake is then topped with tiny cubes of more sponge cake and dusted with icing sugar.

True torta lovers add a final drizzle of Strega - a bright mimosa-yellow herbal liqueur.
The finished golden cake is intended to resemble a bunch of mimosa flowers.

 

 

Mimosa cocktail

If your domestic skills don't quite stretch to the richly elaborate eleven-egg mimosa cake, mimosa cocktails are a delicious and easy way to celebrate this day!

Grab a tall glass, and fill it with half champagne, half orange juice. Or prosecco if the budget doesn't run to fancy bubbles. It's that simple!

Cheers to golden wattles and equal rights!

Nature Goddesses

 

Women have always been associated with plants and nature, practically and mythologically:

• the Andean goddess Pachamama who presides over planting and harvesting and has the power to sustain life on earth
• the Greek goddess Demeter, who presides over the harvest and agriculture, grains, and the fertility of the earth
• the Roman goddess Ceres, ruler of agriculture, grain crops, and fertility
• the Caribbean Taino goddess Atabey, who represents the Earth Spirit, fresh water, and fertility
• and of course the big mama herself, Gaia, Mother Nature

 

 

In our post Women in Horticulture, we celebrate some notable women of Australian horticulture, and their scientific and creative contributions.

There are many women working in horticulture in this country today - including at Australian Plants Online! - helping to create a cleaner, greener, healthier world for us all.