In the past 100 years women, and many men alongside them, have campaigned for womens' right to education, work and maybe most importantly for the right to vote. Maybe you are thinking "oh no.. please don't start spilling your feminist ideas now". Rest assured, I have no intention of doing that. I will however say that I am grateful I was born to a culture where I have had every opportunity to study, learn, work, even pack up my things and go chasing after my dreams in other countries, despite the wonderful men in my family probably occasionally nearly losing sleep over this. I am also proud that I grew up in a country which was at the forefront of not only giving women the right to vote, but to having women elected into the parliament. Not everyone is so lucky.
This is what I want to say to you women: you are important. The world would not, and will not, function without our gender. Know your value as women, not only as human beings. Embrace your feminine quirks, they are what make you so special. Those hormones and emotions that make us act as mild cases of sawdust-in-the-brain at times, are also what give us the gift of the need to take care of others, the gift of empathy, and the gift of being completely over the moon when good things happen. When the men in your life want to open the door for you, be thankful. When they want to offer to pay for that drink or help you do that little DIY job at home which you know you could do yourself, accept their help with a smile. In their own way they are trying to take care of you and show you they appreciate you.
Being a woman is a privilege but as with all privileges, it comes with a huge responsibility. Take care of the men in your life. Sometimes it may feel like they don't deserve to be treated nicely on their birthdays as they have forgotten yours three years in a row, nor do they deserve that special cup of tea or soup when they are struck by a severe case of man-flu, but they do. They deserve our love. They might be utterly rubbish at remembering special dates, but they will be there for us when we truly need them. They might be bad at expressing their feelings but I bet you if you were stuck in a sticky situation, it would be your brothers, your dad or your male friends who would rush to help you if you would call them.
Even more importantly, ladies, we are the women in these men's lives. We have the power to show them what a good woman is like. We have the power to be the models of good women to our sons, so that they will grow up to respect and love the women in their lives. We have the power to make our husband grateful for what a wonderful woman he has married, and yes, we have the power also to be good girlfriends who, even if things go sour, do not leave behind men who are shattered and full of resentment towards women.
Men, love the women in your life. Your wife, your mother, sisters, friends and your special little daughters. They need you to in order to become the kind of women that I just described. Don't leave behind women that are broken and scared to love. Tell the women in your life they are beautiful because it is a self-fulfilling prophesy! A woman needs to hear she is beautiful in order to become truly beautiful inside and out. Love them when they have a crying fit because you bought the wrong things in the supermarket, and most of all, do not scorn them on being girls!
Fathers: you are extremely important. You need to tell your daughters they are beautiful, smart and wonderful. Do not leave your daughter with insecurities, because you are too worried to tell her she is beautiful and wonderful, in case she might become superficial. Take your daughter on father-daughter days, hold her, hug her and show her you love her.
What authority do I have to say this? I am a woman, albeit not a perfect one. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt and a friend. This women's day I want to tell all my beautiful girl friends: you are wonderful, valued and deserving of good things. And for you guys: I feel so lucky having many wonderful male friends in my life. I promise I will try my best to be (and to become) a good woman for you. To my brothers and to my father: I love you to the moon and back. You are the men who have made me who I am. And last but not least to my little nephew: I will always be here for you. You are the bright ray of sun in my life and you are the most perfect little boy there ever was.
Happy International Women's Day!
Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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