Why My Heart is Breaking on #IWD

Today is International Women’s Day. A special day to celebrate and appreciate the women in all forms, shapes, colors and stages of life — those who have blazed trails and broken barriers, as much as those who have weathered through heartbreaks to even get out of bed today. I thought long and hard if I should post something celebratory, and I felt really sad that I had to actually think twice about putting my voice out here.

I know there is so much to celebrate. I know deep down in my heart that we owe a debt of gratitude to the suffragettes who fought tirelessly for women’s right to vote, and to the women who have since followed in their footsteps to fight for equal pay, reproductive rights, and other important issues. I know that there is a reckoning and an awakening in men, especially those who have supported and amplified women’s voices, the fathers and partners who have shared the caregiving load and made it possible for women to pursue their ambitions — I appreciate you and grateful to you for being an instrument to advance gender equality.

Let’s not forget the men who have used their privilege to advocate for women’s rights, and those who have worked to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces and communities — I have been on the receiving end of such generosity and I am extremely grateful (I hope you know who you are!). I know, without a shadow of doubt, that there are also women I am grateful for, those who relentlessly push the needle for change to make a difference in this gender and diversity space, as much as those who hold the space in stillness for deep reflections and care.

But why am I second-guessing myself about writing this post today? Why do I feel somber and a wee bit sad about the state of equity that our world is in? My heart breaks because we are still talking about gender as a differentiation between each other. My heart breaks because, beneath that noise of progress in many areas, there are still many of us who remain voiceless, many of us who are trapped in violence and abuse, enslaved and discriminated within the very fabric of our society and social circles. I mourn the fact that, while I am so blessed to have an army of women (and men) around me who genuinely care and fight to uplift and elevate each other , many of us STILL don’t!

Progress could look so different from different facets of the world, even more so from different households and cultures.

I decided to let my emotions come to words, and win me over in writing here — that is just winning half the battle.

My hope is that through this post, I can invite you to think with me how we can truly shift towards a deeper dialogue — how might we create a truly inclusive, genderless language that does not distinguish between “men or women” and instead turn that into something that unifies us as “humans”?

My hope for all of us is that we can become cognizant of the fact that it’s not about who gets better pay or who gets a seat at the table and call the shots. What’s important and truly valuable is that we become aware of our unique gifts and brilliance individually, not as men or women, but as humans…. and that we can create equal opportunities for each other to steer us towards a different future.

And now that you’ve read my sentiments and realized that the disparity still exists, I hope that we can individually and collectively think of ways where we can tip this scale over and reimagine what an equitable world could look like… and work towards making that imagination a reality within our lifetime!