A New Era, A New Normal.
Happy International Woman's Day!
The last few years have been filled with questions which led to learning, personal growth and understanding as opposed to biased judging, a personal choice I think every human has to work towards every single day of their life.
If you ever catch yourself explaining away another's behaviour in a way that takes away from the feelings and emotions they are expressing chances are you are privileged in some way.
Growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood and moving to the multicultural diverse Toronto was eye-opening as to how much privilege the colour of skin can grant. Something I would have rolled my eyes at as a teenager while uttering some stereotypical phrase refuting the very notion.
Growing up at the tail end of an era that had men in the workforce and women in the kitchen meant that is just what I expected for my future. It meant tearing down other women's choices to pick a career or a life without children because I wasn't shown any different nor did I choose to understand.
I am living, continuous proof that the world is changing and for the better. I grew up in a welcoming, loving home taught to accept anyone no matter what yet even that didn't protect me from the grips of stereotypes and biases. They surround us wherever we go and can only become aware of them if we choose to.
I am so excited to celebrate Woman's Day today because the momentum we are seeing on this day alone is a beacon of hope and change. 15 years ago I would have probably uttered how ridiculous this all was to have a day for just woman, I mean why not for men too? As a young teenage girl I didn't even realise how ingrained my "assumed" position in life of standing behind a man had already become, something that was fed to me through tv shows, news stations, and well-meaning close friends and family.
How amazing is it that this new generation of young women can be taught from the get go the TRUE meaning of equality and that they are already strong enough simply for who they are. So if you catch yourself for even the smallest of seconds rolling your eyes at the idea these rallies around the world are "too much" maybe it is time to examine where your biases are coming from. To know what makes us weak means gaining the power to turn those weaknesses into strengths, especially when our critical thoughts tend to be formed from false realities.
It took me years of reshaping my mindset from what the most privileged, loudest group of the world was selling me as opposed to reality. It meant facing uncomfortable truths and admitting how judgemental and blind I had been to those around me, difficult but necessary and process that will never end.
International Woman's Day is one of celebration at how far we have come and a reminder that this fight is not over. I am so grateful for all the women in my life that are shining examples of strength, determination and inner beauty that continue to pave the way for a new meaning of equality. A world which welcomes my daughter with open arms and not limitations, one that demands my son to respect women as equals who are not to be taken advantage of, one where women encourage each other to live their lives any way they please without tearing them down for what are personal choices. A world where we are all truly equal and treated as such.
Happy International Woman's Day!
