International Women’s Day
What’s the best thing you can do as a woman for women right now? Be kind. Don’t compete. Don’t ridicule or belittle. There is enough of that happening to us from the newly empowered conservative men. And I’m distressed to see the rights of women on the decline in countries that claim to be democratic. I really can’t believe I’m writing this in 2025 but if we’re not very careful women’s lives and decision making will be more restricted than it was for our mothers’ generation, and potentially our grandmothers’ lives, depending on age.
Traditionally it’s been easy to have women feel ‘less’ because they’ve been told by someone that they need to do this or that to improve their appearance. Who is that person to judge, by the way? Being preoccupied with attaining an unreachable perfection can disempower women as their energy and intellect is diverted from learning, delivering and working to improve the world and their funds are diverted away from investments in a healthier or more independent life.
The best thing we can do for each other and ourselves currently is not to fall for that ‘divide and conquer’ mentality that pitts women against each other, making them feel insecure. Those articles that are overly critical of women for the dresses they wear, and whether or not they’re looking older or larger or smaller; they’re toxic. You’ll see I indulge in none of that in my work. Collectively, women’s self esteem could do with boosting rather than critiquing and that’s what my work is based on. It’s much better for all of us if we support each other and celebrate our achievements instead of being unkind.
Personal style and colour analysis should be fun, creative, useful and practical. If it becomes about striving for unattainable perfection or competitiveness, it’s no longer positive for women; it becomes another thing holding us back from reaching our full potential. If you see a woman who looks great, consider complimenting her. It might just make her day and it will give you a boost too. Don’t think that if another woman looks great then you don’t look great. It’s not about scarcity. We can all have fun with our personal style because we’re all different.
There’s a great article by Penny Locaso about how and why International Women’s Day came about and why it’s important to take action in support of women rather than simply hosting a morning tea. Penny claims the day is broken. https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/move-beyond-the-talkfest-what-action-will-you-commit-to-this-international-womens-day/
Support women in all the ways you can. We need each other, and we have strength in our numbers but only if we unite and not compete. If taking big action is not possible for you right now, consider the everyday ways you can support the women you encounter. Happy International Women’s Day!
53 years of friendship and still going strong!