As I'm sure many of you have heard, March 8th is International Women's Day. It's a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. (Yes, I know…we should do this everyday. )
I've never been one to claim the label of feminist…that is until recently. I've had the time and space to process my past and to claim ownership over my own story instead of letting others dictate what my story is or should be. I now see myself as an equal…as worthy…just as worthy as any other woman or man to be…well, to be MYSELF. This has heightened my awareness of the many inequalities in our world.
I hope the day will come when gender or race or class or sexual orientation won't matter…
won't matter to the quality of education we receive…
won't matter to the quality of healthcare we receive…
won't matter to the amount of money we receive for the same work…
won't matter to the likelihood of a prison sentence or a wrongful death…
But right now, it does matter.
I'm grateful to the women who've come before me…who've helped pave the way for me to benefit from the rights they fought for. I'm also grateful to the men who supported and stood with these women…the men who have advocated and stood up for women's rights even when their peers didn't get it.
(Feminism--to me--is NOT about hating men…we need each other. It’s about equal human rights.)
I'm grateful to the women who are here with me now…still standing…still fighting for equal HUMAN rights because even though we've come a long way, we are not there YET. I'm also grateful to the men who are standing with us now… your voice and your presence does not go unnoticed…thank you for understanding and for championing us as we stand for your mothers, your sisters, and your daughters.
My hope is to stand proudly and in unity with the community of women and men who are advocating for human rights so that we leave a better world to those who will come after us… so that they too can stand proudly as themselves…smart, capable, worthy, magical HUMANS.
Collective Courage Wins.