International Women’s Day

I want to take a moment today to appreciate how much the women in my life have given me. It is without a doubt certain that every woman that has been in my life has given me a lot, has taught me many things.

Among this, I have learned that the women I have met are stronger, much stronger than I have ever been, they have fought silently (or not) and overcome many difficulties which they still overcome daily. I wish to anyone out there, to have the luck to be surrounded by such strong individuals that can inspire them. And maybe even more importantly, to stop and appreciate them – our mothers, sisters, grandmothers and partners. Whatever we call them, stop for a moment and imagine life without them, not just in the current moment, but to have never been touched by their personalities, by their experiences and love. Think about it. And now tell them what they mean to you, because what you saw in your imagination for have they not been there, the whole difference you saw, that’s what they’ve given you and more.

This message is not directed to men specifically, but as a man I feel a responsibility. This is not purely about gender, but unfortunately gender defines it. As part of my community, my industry and this world I have realised that as much as I hate to admit it, men dominate many times in ugly ways. We silently abuse and disregard, assume and bluntly ignore. We see women as weak, unable, unreliable, soft and whatnot, partly imposed by social norms and impressions, partly by example and partly by choice and ignorance. All of those descriptions are incorrect, all of them are biased and in my opinion – disgusting. They pre-define and remove the chance for seeing beyond our narrow-minded perspectives. I am not saying this fully in the tone of bitterness, but rather in hope. In the hope to raise awareness, but mostly to make us stop and think – who are the women around us, the people around us, what have they done, sacrificed, what example have they set and do they deserve what we give them or much more in fact. Humble your voice, slow your tongue and steady your mind. Appreciate, respect and be grateful, because it is not all a given and the people you see today may not have been there and might not be tomorrow.

To my grandmothers and mother, to my sister and most loved one. Thank you!

A note, on a great video I have watched today at an International Women’s Day event at work, summarising the struggles and biases women face at the work place.

https://leanin.org/education/50-ways-to-fight-bias-overview