Until I started Bosisi Designs, I had no idea there even was a Women's Day, let alone an international day to celebrate women globally. How cool is that? We have a day all to ourselves. One that includes all women, not just moms, but women of all ages, races, ethnicities.
One thing that bothers me is that I feel like not all people think women are 'worthy' enough to have a special day. I'm not pointing any fingers, no. But sometimes I can feel the 'eye roll' without seeing anyone actually rolling their eyes. It makes me feel like we need to defend why women are so amazing and strong and fierce.
Before I started Bosisi I didn't really pay that much attention to who was making decisions. Decisions in life, laws, policies, goals and directions, for business, for products, for systems. I'm not being political because that is different in my mind. There are people I love on different 'sides' of politics and I love them as people, friends and family. No, this is not meant to be political at all.
International Women's Day's (IWD) website states: "An equal world is an enabled world... IWD is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality." The first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people, says their site. Can you imagine just living in 1911 and what women were doing and going through back then? To have even created this day must have been a serious feat in-and-of-itself.
I don't have any connection personally to IWD, but I'm thinking that maybe I should. Equality is good for everyone and should not be seen as forcing or weighting anything to benefit one gender. It is, in my mind, a way to just level the playing field so that decisions benefit people, communities, countries as a whole.
Yes, I have had opportunities and privileges that helped me along the way, even if I didn't realize it at the time. But now I know better and want to make sure that I do everything I can to impact the future for underserved people, especially women and more specifically black women who clearly do not have the opportunities they need.
We all can do things, make decisions and amplify gender equality. Do it for yourself. Do it for your kids. Do it for everyone.
With humble gratitude,
Deana
1 comment
I could not have said it better and I share your sentiments