International Women’s Day: There Is So Much More To Being A Woman

Happy Women’s Day to all the strong, compassionate, beautiful, unique, powerful, ambitious women in the world. Every day is definitely a great opportunity to celebrate the women in our lives, though today, in particular, gives us an extra reason to do just that! Today represents an opportunity to actively encourage all people to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about women’s equality, lobby for accelerated gender freedom and show support for female-focused businesses. In a world dominated by men, It can be easy to forget how much a woman gives, if anything women are the real architects of our society and we must start thinking critically about our own thoughts and actions and how we can better promote female empowerment, especially during this time of the pandemic. In times like this, where the whole world has had to adapt to changes, we have witnessed many women struggle emotionally, physically and mentally through a period of complete isolation, unemployment, motherhood, work – basically experience the overall hardship this pandemic has brought! So today, we recognise the tremendous efforts by women, girls and mothers around the world in shaping a better, more equal future and recovery from the pandemic and highlight the gaps that remain. You see, a challenging world is an alert world and from challenge comes change so today is the perfect moment to choose to challenge.

Women’s full and effective participation and leadership in all areas of life drive progress for everyone yet, women are still underrepresented in life. Throughout history, we have come across countless inspiring, courageous and resilient women, whether businesswomen and entrepreneurs, women in politics and governance, female human rights defenders, or conflict-affected women and girls. As a community of women, who have fought their way to break down the barriers, the fight doesn’t end there. Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all and to get there, we must provide; support, recognition and appreciation. Now, we all have a collective responsibility to make sure that generations of women and girls from all walks of life can live in a world where they are treated equally and reach their full potential. The goal is aimed at striving towards a more equitable world to bring about constructive change. After all, by challenging gender stereotypes, biases, and prejudices, we can help change conservative mind-sets, rectify biased behaviours, and reverse discriminatory policies.

When women lead, we see positive results! Women, especially young women, are at the forefront of diverse and inclusive movements online and on the streets for social justice, climate change and equality in all parts of the world. This is why, this year’s International Women’s Day is a rallying cry for Generation Equality, to act for an equal future for all. Imagine a world where all people have equal rights and opportunities. Women and girls are not afraid of walking home late at night, and men and boys are not trapped in oppressive masculinities. Imagine equality in political leadership, classrooms, corporate offices, and factory floors. Women and girls have equal say in decisions that affect their lives, their bodies, their policies, and their environment, from communities to cities.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Imagination is the language of the soul. Pay attention to your imagination and you will discover all you need to be fulfilled.

Albert Einstein

Increasing women’s representation and empowerment in politics and public life, and promoting female participation in justice and transitional justice processes will draw leaders, visionaries, and activists from around the world, on a diverse platform, to push for transformative and lasting change for generations to come. My own experiences have taught me that great stories are universal: they can come from anywhere, be created by anyone, and be loved by everyone though what matters is that they are told authentically.  And so, we need to ensure that traditionally disadvantaged voices, in this case, women get the same chances to be heard in our society as men have been for generations. I want to encourage everyone to share some extra goodness and take a moment to celebrate the ‘SHEs’; the women and girls who have inspired us motivated us and have made a positive change in our lives.

Happy Women’s Day to you all!

Yours Truly Sasi