Every year on International Women’s Day we hear the same question.

And there is what I want to say and what I actually say when I’m asked ““Why is there a Women’s Day, why isn’t there a Men’s Day?” or “Why isn’t there a Men’s Studies?”.

What I want to say: “That’s every other day of the year.”

What I actually say: “That’s every other day of the year. Actually, there is one. It’s on Wednesday 14 November this year.”

If you can read statistics like this – how one in three women report having been physically or sexually abused since the age of 15 – and still ask that question, I would also refer you to Emer O’Toole’s excellent article from earlier this year, which argues that if you constantly have to ask “but what about men?”, then you’re probably not a feminist.

You’re absolutely entitled to ask “but what about men?”, that’s your prerogative, but you’re probably not a feminist.

All this reminds me of the questions I used to contend with as a Masters (Mistress) degree student of Women’s Studies at university.

Question: “But what actually is Women’s Studies?”

What I want to say (if the question is delivered in a scathing voice, which it usually is): “Oh, we mainly talk about periods, shoes and how we hate men. We also pick out which character from Sex and the City we’re most like.”

What I actually say: “Women’s Studies fills in the gaps in every other course in the university, identifying and valuing women’s contributions over the ages to literature, philosophy, art, politics and well, just culture in general.

“Unlike, say, Gender Studies, it is mainly a Humanities rather than a Social Sciences subject, although it does analyse why women’s contributions have typically been excluded from mainstream culture and academia.”

Question: “Why isn’t there a Men’s Studies?”

What I want to say: “That’s every other subject in the university.”

What I really say: “That’s every other subject in the university. In fact men aren’t excluded from either taking the course or being the subject of study in it – indeed; I personally devoted two of my three dissertations to exploring the concept of masculinity, as clearly that has a part to play in defining women’s relative position.”

Question: “No, but why’s there a Women’s Studies when there’s not a Men’s Studies?”

What I say: “No one’s asking you to study it, don’t worry – although if it threatens your sense of masculinity that much, perhaps you should.”