Happy International Women’s Day…to everyone!
Posted on March 7, 2011 in the Real Beauty category
Hello world! It’s been a while since I’ve written something exciting & profound (haha) for my 3 fans (hey, Mum!) but thought it important to share a few of my thoughts on International Women’s Day 2011…
I’m a long-time an advocate for women (was a Women Studies minor at university), have worked in & now support women-owned businesses (throughout my career and with SassySEO.com), write about the beautiful women in my life (Real Beauty on this blog), attend business women events (Social Media Women, Network Central, Soroptimist International, Australian Businesswomen’s Network, etc), & now helping launch a women’s book later this year.
But today I’m thinking about what I say time & time again about women…that we need to own our accomplishments and act more confident about what we are doing and what we want to achieve. And we need to support other women in their journey. I am super blessed to know SO many smart women (all over the world) & meet so many AMAZING women everyday, but these 3 issues come up repeatedly.
These are generalisations from my own observations / experiences and not applicable to every person. I am not criticising, I am taking a stand and saying publicly (to my 3 followers) that I want to support women, be a good example (in case anyone needs one), and help all women accomplish their goals in any way I can.
Here are my ideas…they are simple yet powerful…
1 – Own Your Accomplishments – women achieve so much…we run businesses, we support the running of businesses, we run households, we raise children, we help others raise children…but we don’t give ourselves enough credit. We work hard and make a difference, not just to our families, but to our jobs, our communities and to each other.
2 – Act Confident – we do all this and remain humble, tear ourselves down, feel unappreciated, hesitate to take risks, & act grateful for any praise we get. That doesn’t help any of us — it doesn’t help those who may be struggling with self-esteem (like I have for many years) when we can all be great examples for other women who may not feel so confident about all the wonderful things they are already doing, and will do in their lives.
3 – Support Women – women have a bit of a reputation sometimes for tearing each other down, competing with each other and not helping other women get ahead. This is not good for any of us. If you don’t do this – FANTASTIC – keep being incredible. If you do, read #1 & #2.
I believe if we do more of this, we can help more people — women and men — build smarter businesses, create better opportunities & solve bigger problems. How? By not letting anything hold us back from being exactly who we want to be, and achieve more than we ever thought we could.
Is it magic? No – it takes hard work, compassion, a sense of humour and drive to keep going even when things get tough.
Am I anti-man? No way! Men & women are equally important – we need each other. Our skills can balance, strengthen, compliment & support — and multiply our potential & our influence.
I’m not writing to be confrontational, I’m writing this because I want to be part of a solution to a problem I experience almost everyday. I like to help — this is my way of doing that.
How do you support women…and men? Go on…brag a little…I love it and want to celebrate you!
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2 Responses to “Happy International Women’s Day…to everyone!”
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Kristen
Your readership is up to 4! And couldn’t agree more with your comments.
Wanting to support women achieve their best is not anti-anything… just because we are ‘pro’ something it doesn’t mean we have to be against something else.
I have noticed on my blog that women read but don’t comment on blogs – my theory is we don’t want to share our insecurities or ‘blow our own horn’. We are a tricky lot!
Hope you are having a wonderful International Women’s Day
- Karen
I think you’ve got some great points here! When I read this I don’t get the ‘anti men’ vibe at all but an ‘all-round positive supportive’ vibe. You are right in that we are all dependant on each other and our complimentary skills. Great post… looking forward to some more