What exactly IS International Women’s Day?
It’s a UN sanctioned holiday that celebrates women’s rights, their contributions to society, and raises support for the ongoing fight for gender equality. This year’s theme is #EachforEqual – reminding us that it’s EACH of us, men and women, that has to fight for EQUALITY.
I was raised by a single mom who was (and is) in every way a bad*ss. She graduated with a degree in business and had to give up her job to move to Texas with my dad. She then got a job working retail and was working there when my parents got divorced. Suddenly she is building (and rebuilding) a life on her own with a (very precocious) two year old child on her hands.
She now works for Dell and has a team of people all over the world. She is not only an amazing woman but she’s an amazing human. One thing she has modeled for me these past 30+ years is her dedication to helping people. This helping people goes past donating money; if anyone asks she helps in whatever way she can. She is a founding member of Impact Austin and I cannot keep track of the times she has helped a friend of mine practice for an interview, or hosted a friend’s family member in need in her guest room until they get back on their feet. She gives and gives and gives but she also empowers.
Thinking back on the things my mom has taught me I’m reminded of something Sheryl Sandberg said “In the future there will be no female leaders. There will be just leaders.” I don’t think of my mom as a female leader I think of her as a leader. If I’m lucky enough to have a daughter I can’t wait to raise her to be a strong woman just like my mom. And if I’m lucky enough to have a son I can’t wait to raise him to respect and encourage strong women.
Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength. – GD Anderson
