MACEDONIAN-born Diana Sterjovska, still remembers how the streets in her home town Bitola were filled with happy people, each carrying a flower to give to the women, expressing sympathy and love.
International Women’s Day was also a day highly anticipated by students, who would put on their best attire and give their teachers a flower, the Hillside resident said.
No matter the age, each woman in Macedonia would have a smile on her face as she would be the centre of attention on 8 March.
And for the first time in nine years since moving to Australia, Ms Sterjovska could plant a kiss on her visiting mother Vlaga’s cheek and give her a flower.
Ms Sterjovska said she was happy to be living in Australia, as there were more rights compared to her country.
“In Macedonia we still have that education that the woman is the one who should do everything: to raise the children, to look after the husband, to look after the family and to look after the house,” she said.
But that norm was starting to change now as more women became the the bread winners, she said.
Ms Sterjovska said the emphasis of celebrating the International Women’s Day should be stronger in Australia.
“There’s a lot of flowers for the Mother’s Day but not for the International Women’s Day when I believe that every woman deserves a flower,” she said.
“I’m trying to educate my kids about the way a woman should be treated, so I’m expecting a flower from them too today,” she laughed.
