You Special Woman!

Two days ago in the school where I work (Oh yes! I'm an educator__women are born multitaskers); we had a brief general education on international women's day for all the pupils from year 1 - year 6. Yes, children need to start knowing things like this. Why do we have days like this and how much of importance they carry. The moderator asked the pupils to mention names of anyone they adore or their role models. 75% of the names mentioned were males. To my not so great surprise, a child mentioned Micheal Jackson and within me I said you weren't even born when this legend died. This doesn't mean that dead heroes should be forgotten. But I was concerned with the rate at which just a few women's names were mentioned even by these young ones.

Something is wrong with the societal structure that limits a woman, assigns some weaknesses to the feminine gender and gives some strength and occupational roles to the masculine gender. I'm not here today to argue any social structure that has been in existence long before I was born and has continued to multiply through the pages of books and knowledge production, culture and so on but on this special day I will mention some names that should never be forgotten. They might have come bearing biological features of a woman, but they bare every strength in them, they are women; their gender never changed nor will it change just because they bare supernatural strength within them; strength some societal perspectives have assigned to biological masculine features. They are only strong and agile, they have only refused to give up to societal norms; they have put their lives on the line not to submit to societal jargon and fight for their dreams.

Malala Yousafza although shot in the head in Pakistan at age 15 for campaigning for women and children's right to education still remains brave even brave enough to struggle with death. Talk about Angela Merkel, who has proven that excellent politics is not only for men. We've got Gonzalez, Jane Goodall and so on but how do I forget YOU? You are a strong woman, you don't need to be on the screen, you don't need to sleep behind the bars, you don't need to be shot at; we do not need to see you go through all that before we recognise how special you are. Woman, you are amazing, you have strength, you can take up that role in the office, your importance doesn't end in the labour room, nor kitchen, nor bedroom. You are more capable than what society has defined you to be. If you have been living under such definition, now is the time to wake up and take a move. No one knows you better than you do and no one should be able to define who you are. We remember those that have lost their lives in the fight for freedom; they remain our heroines.

Happy International Women's day special woman. This day exists not because of one or few women, but it exists because of the little effort of each and everyone of us not to give up. Don't give up woman! When set back happens, let your bounce back be special. Why? Because you are a woman.

#embraceequity

#IWD2023