Every year, International Women’s Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the journeys of women around the world and to renew our commitment to pursuing gender equality.
This year, as I reflected on the theme “Give to Gain,” I found myself thinking deeply about the narratives that surround womanhood today.
Over the past months, I have been scrolling through social media timelines, reading posts, and listening to conversations about adulthood, career, family, relationships, and personal aspirations. While many of these stories are real, they can sometimes paint a picture that feels heavy. Too often, the visible stories are those of exhaustion, struggle, and unmet expectations.
We read about:
The woman who is constantly struggling to balance career and family.
The woman whose leadership or economic contribution is questioned.
The woman whose social contribution is challenged or perceived as a weakness.
The woman who is struggling to find her place.
The woman who is expected to succeed everywhere and it carries a constant sense of guilt.
The woman who is expected to be both modern and traditional in order to fit.
The woman one is unsure how to become.
The woman one does not want to become.
If these are the dominant narratives young women encounter, they can create an image that feels discouraging rather than inspiring.
Yet this is not the full story.
There is another side to the journey of womanhood, one that deserves equal visibility.
There is the side where insecurity gradually fades and confidence grows.
Where skills develop and become valuable contributions to society.
Where communities of support emerge.
Where families grow alongside the women and men raising them.
Where experience becomes wisdom and influence.
Growth is a possible path.
It is possible because there is grace.
It is possible because there are pioneers who came before us.
It is possible because there are women and men today building meaningful lives, careers, families, and communities, and leaving legacies.
It is possible because there are support systems, even in the quietest ways.
It is possible because many of us have encountered role models, sometimes close to us and sometimes from afar, who have shown that progress is attainable.
This gives today’s theme, “Give to Gain,” even more meaning. When we give, we create a cycle of empowerment that extends far beyond a single individual.
Giving what we have or what we know may help those who come after us see possibilities instead of limitations. Building and maintaining circles, large or small, that cultivate hope rather than discouragement can accelerate growth.
Today, I am giving encouragement with the hope that it may prevent someone from breaking under pressure, or invite us to reflect on what we can give and why it matters.
The challenge to myself that I am sharing with you is this: What will we choose to give today, this month, this year that may empower another woman in any way?
Will it be mentorship? Time? A resource? A skill? An opportunity? The list is long.
Which narratives about womanhood should we amplify to foster growth and positive aspiration?
Let us give it some thought.
Happy International Women’s Day