I cringe whenever I remember my tomboy era. My mannerism and the way I carried myself reflected the masculine side to me. I was about 10 or 11 years old then and my young and naive self did not understand the intricacies of what it takes to be a woman . Being a free woman is such a fantastic feeling and a privilege I do not want to take for granted ever. I am proud of how I am embodying my femininity with so much grace and class. There are so many pros and cons of being a woman but if I am given the option to either remain a woman or become a man, I will always choose to be a woman.

It is easy to praise every aspect of being a woman when you’re not facing the sad consequences of womanhood but it can be really ugly. It is so heartbreaking to see some women are still denied education or subjected to wearing headscarves against their will, being raped, subjected to domestic abuse, not given a voice among other weird things out there. This is why women must stick together to support and uplift each other. I am always encouraged and motivated when I see women doing great things while serving as role models to other women. Some people can only dream about that life and often live vicariously through their role models. We have a lot of work to do in ensuring there is total liberation and freedom for all women all over the world. Asides from the social aspect of the not-so-glamorous part of being a woman, let’s not forget the biological aspect. Throughout last week, I was feeling dizzy, lightheaded and other side effects of hormonal imbalance and the time of the month struggles. There are so many women that experience this and more complicated issues but have to carry out their duties like normal.

Women also go through workplace discrimination, gender pay disparity, leadership concerns, discrimination in some religious appointments, work-life balance, renting houses, and even trivial things like booking hotels and eating at some restaurants require men to be present in some parts of the world and the list goes on. This is why days like this are important to remind women that no matter the stumbling blocks life throws at us, we would always excel.

The theme for International Women’s Day this year is to EMBRACE EQUITY. This is creating an inclusive world for all women. This will require a collective effort from men and women to make sure we make the world an inclusive place for all women. It is not an overnight job, but if we take intentional steps daily to achieve this goal, the world will be better. Kudos to Spain for recently passing a law that permits women to receive paid menstrual leave. As someone that suffers from menstrual cramps, that is such a huge appeal and I should move to Spain to benefit from this. The better option would be for all countries to adopt such an inclusive law.

Women are nurturing, hardworking, intelligent, sexy, strong and beautiful. I am proud to be called a woman, you should too.

Thank you for reading and happy International Women’s Day to all the women out there.