Proud to be a woman! Happy International Women’s Day!

The other day at table, my 17 year old son commented on how glad he was not to be a woman. Glad not to have to go through childbirth, periods, hair dramas etc..Fair enough. But it made ME realize how much I would have missed not being a woman.

Yes, childbirth was excruciatingly painful but I would never have wanted to miss out on the miracle of birth. My three deliveries will probably remain what I am the most proud of.

Women are able to put differences aside and cooperate for the better good, I saw that so clearly in my years in Africa where inter-ethnic tension would keep  men at each others throats but where the women would come together in order to work more efficiently.

Same here in The Hague and the Women’s Business Initiative International or in Dakar and the Dakar Women’s Group. We bond and support and motivate, enthuse and learn from each other.

We are as intelligent as men (if not more) but also more emphatic, fun, caring and willing to admit and learn from our mistakes.

We are super women and  multi task juggling family, work and still hope for a little bit of own life with friends and sports. It comes at a cost but still, I find our life is more balanced concerning focus and purpose than most men.

To be able to be glamorous one day and natural the next, to change dramatically with hairstyles and play with make up, to have girlfriends to giggle and cry with,

We can do all of that thanks to the women who came before us.

We have just held our WBII International Womens Day conference. One of the workshops was on Women Leadership and what that is:
“To empower others, connecting, being yourself, enjoying collaboration, bringing out the best in others, interacting, co-creating..so much sharing and joining forces to make the world a better place.
IO had this image of each individual woman with her inner light yearning to make a change in the world. For some a burning desire to make big changes, others, just to bring their own contribution. When all those lights join, what a brighter place we make this world!

Today is International Women’s Day:

To all the women we have met and still to share our path, to our mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, mentors, clients, teachers, helpers around us!

To their inner and outer beauty, complete with the struggles,scars and bruises we hide and assimilate as we try to be the best of everything and stay ourselves.

Special thoughts to our sisters in countries where they do not exist in their own rights,  subjugated, mutilated, confined. Where they cant drive or work, go out alone or even to school. I wish them strength and optimism.

To the determination, resilience and boundless love of women.

The UN theme this year is : Empower Women, empower humanity: picture it!”

We may not all be an Angela Merkel, Mother Teresa or a Malala, but by striving to empowering ourselves to sing a true song, we connect to our yearning for the better good and each bring our light to empowering  Humanity.

I would not want to be anything but a woman.