Were you aware that only two per cent of moon craters are named after women?  Neither was I, until I read an article in the New York Times today informing me of this monstrous injustice against womankind.  

Do you believe a female-named moon crater will change a woman’s reality when she’s being raped in a laneway or having her head smashed against a dirty wall? How about when her kids are being murdered by a controlling ex-partner?  Or when she’s being sexually harassed by a walking penis at the office?  

Do you think any woman would spare a thought for the female-named moon craters when faced with these real-life situations?  Or do you think they would be more focused on having to eat shit? 

Montreal artist, researcher and amateur astronomer, Bettina Forget depicts moon craters in her artwork and when browsing records at the “International Astronomical Union” she discovered that only 33 of 1538 moon craters are named after women.    

Shocked by this non-issue, Bettina Forget launched an art project called ‘Women of Impact”, drawing the 33 female-named moon craters and exhibiting the individually framed pieces in various art galleries throughout Canada. 

You’ll be overjoyed to know that the International Astronomical Union has now publicly recognised the lack of female-named moon craters and will be prioritising women’s names over men’s names in the future.  I am so grateful to know this because I was actually beginning to lose sleep. 

Why are feminists these days obsessed with cheap symbolism that doesn’t influence actual change or equality one iota?   

And why does anyone care about this nonsense when we have lost 3.1 million people to a global pandemic and the economy has gone to shit? 

Gendered moon craters? Female representation? Cheap symbolism? 

Tell someone who cares.

Vanessa de Largie is a creative based in Melbourne. You can learn more about her work on her website.