I confess, I had a little lump in my throat this morning when Barbra Streisand announced ‘the moment has come’. A gasp went round the Kodak Theatre as everyone realised Kathryn Bigelow had just won the Oscar, and I felt ridiculously pleased. Given that I don’t know her, and I haven’t (yet) seen The Hurt Locker or Avatar, why should I care?

A few hours before, I’d read a story about the representation of women on British television. Men outnumber women by two to one on the small screen, and you’re far more likely to see female presenters when they’re talking about ‘softer’ subjects such as fashion or parenting.

A lot of people would argue that it shouldn’t matter whether only one woman has won the best director Oscar, or that there are more men on TV than women. Surely equal opportunities means it should be the best person for the job who gets the job/wins the Oscar/whatever. What they might not realise is just how much it matters to women everywhere. It matters whether we can see women on television talking about the economy or the war in Iraq. It matters whether there are enough women in science. It matters whether a woman wins an Oscar because it makes a difference to how women see themselves.

There’s a classic experiment, which asks people to analyse the following scenario: A man takes his son out on a fishing trip, but on the way to the lake they have a car accident. The father is killed instantly and the son critically injured. The boy is rushed to hospital but as he is wheeled into the operating theatre the surgeon calls out ‘I can’t operate, that’s my son!’ How can this be?

The answer, of course, is that the surgeon is his mother but it’s startling the length many people – both men and women – go to trying to find an elaborate explanation for the boy’s father being the one in the blue mask and gown. We still don’t realise how often women are backgrounded, and the effect this has on what we think we’re capable of – and what our daughters think they’re capable of.

So here are a few names we should celebrate in honour of Kathryn Bigelow’s win and it being International Women’s Day:

Phyllida Lloyd, Lone Scherfig, Sofia Coppola, Beeban Kidron, Julie Taymor and Gurinder Chadha – also fantastic female directors. The women behind the Birds Eye View film festival in London (until 12 March), for showcasing the work of many female film makers. And finally, Kate Madison, who co-wrote and directed an unofficial prequel to Lord Of The Rings, on a budget of £25,000 and the goodwill of hundreds of internet supporters. More than a million people have now watched it online.

This is turning into an epic post now worthy of its own prequel so congratulations Kathryn Bigelow, and Happy International Women’s Day everyone. And, if you want to read a brilliant analysis of why Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock won, read this New York magazine article, published a few weeks ago. Use it next year to bet on the 2011 winners.