For the very first time, on March 8, I will be celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) with gusto. As a card-carrying feminist, it would seem that I would not only be a regular participant in celebrations of this nature but may even be found atop a float in a parade or at the front of the picket line championing the cause.
Women’s History Month has consistently offered a delightful reminder of the magnitude of female heroism. While I have always considered the feats of my sisters extraordinary, I have primarily considered these heroic activities from an academic, anthropological point of view. IWD, while a part of Women’s History Month, I view as much more vibrant, current, and urgent.
IWD is one of the most important days of the year because it is as much about general equality as it is about gender equality.
IWD is not simply about marching, movements or women’s suffrage, but a celebration of attaining legal equality for all people. What we are truly talking about are human rights, specifically the right to vote, speak and live free of persecution based on sex, race and religion.
The United Nations has identified a theme for IWD—Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world. As a female entrepreneur and small business owner, I have a role to play in this new world, as does every single one of us. Overcoming inequality is no simple task, even in cases where the governing legal system of the land decrees equality for all.
Rather than seeing the day as an early Mother’s Day or one of many agenda items on the roster for Women’s History Month, IWD symbolizes much more than any single or fractured cause. We are overcoming inequalities and adversity to create equality for all under the law.
As such, I hope you will join me in proudly donning the colors of green, purple and white to commemorate this special day.
With gusto,
~ Caylei Vogelzang
