Every year, on March 8th, social media floods with messages celebrating International Women’s Day. Companies roll out their marketing campaigns, hashtags trend, and the world seems to momentarily acknowledge the importance of women. And yet, every year, I feel a deep resistance to it. It’s not because I don’t value women. Quite the opposite! But something about the way this day is framed doesn’t sit right with me. And I’ve realized that my strong reaction is trying to tell me something.
For me, empowerment is about autonomy, authenticity, and self-determination. Not about fitting into a narrative that someone else has created for me. Too often, International Women’s Day presents a one-size-fits-all version of what it means to be a strong woman. It tells us what we should fight for, how we should define success, and even what kind of struggles are considered ‘valid.’ But real strength isn’t about following a movement; it’s about owning your own truth.
The Problem With International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day, in theory, is meant to celebrate women’s achievements and progress. But in practice, it often feels like a performative gesture: one day of acknowledgment before things return to business as usual. Companies post their obligatory “We support women” messages while paying their female employees less. Governments make grand statements while still enforcing policies that limit true personal freedom.
And at its core, this day often portrays women as a collective that still needs saving, still needs external validation, still needs recognition to feel whole. But what if we don’t? What if we don’t need a special day to remind us of our worth, our strength, and our ability to create, lead, and thrive? What if our power isn’t something that needs to be handed to us by society, but something that has always been ours to claim?
My Vision of Female Power
I don’t need a designated day to feel seen. My power comes from within, from my ability to navigate life on my own terms, from my resilience, from my wisdom, and from my deep connection to my own truth.
True empowerment isn’t about demanding recognition. It’s about living so fully in your truth that recognition becomes irrelevant. It’s about knowing your worth without needing external validation. It’s about embracing the full spectrum of who you are, whether that aligns with society’s expectations or not.
So, while the world celebrates International Women’s Day, I will celebrate in my own way: by simply being me, unapologetically, every single day of the year.
