Let's stop the "#womenOpause" on IWD 2015 to mark International Women's Day in March 2015. It's pivotal to stop the "pause the progression "of women in 21 century! IWD is now an official holiday in 27 countries and organisations and governments around the world hold events in March to inspire women and celebrate achievements. The United States designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'. Our monarch a women, Queen of UK (deserves a curtsy), so why aren't we celebrating with a public holiday? We don't need more rhetoric without the actions. We need to encourage school children involved in the vision for their future and think about how they can help shape the world to empower women.
Wherever you look women are breaking through, and they are changing perceptions about what women are and what women can do. They are defying convention, expectation and criticism to pursue their dreams, reach their potential and enrich their life experience. In the UK, on average, women working full-time earn 9.5% less than men, women make up 51% of the population in the UK, only 23% of MPs, 25% of judges and 21% FTSE 100 company directors are female. Stats from The House of Common's Library report March 2015.
Women have been inspired by those who led the way and beyond. They follow pioneering footsteps, challenging stereotypes and assumptions, to change their own lives and inspire the women around them International Women's Day is the opportunity to share their diverse and unique stories and learn more about these women.
I AM is about how you can play your part in the world as a woman, an individual, and as a human being to shape it for the better. Give women inspiration, empower them to be fearless as they make their choices but also be respectful of those around you. "I AM" is making a statement should we be changing ourselves or the world around us?
So to every woman of the world, I would say that the power lies within. Finding it is a long journey in itself but when you do find it, you will realise why being a woman is so special!
My story, my label for years was "talaaqi" (Divorcee), now I call myself " IAM" without the shackles of all those stereotypes given to me over the years. Breaking all those habits of letting everyone dictate to me who I should or should not be has been.
So take a step back from the visually impaired traps of view of the world around you, and try and understand how you actually arrived at those preconceived notions of those labels given you by others. People are all fundamentally motivated by the same few desires, that there is rarely a true separation between black and white, between right and wrong, that the area of Brown (Asian) which often is most difficult to navigate is also what makes life the most worthwhile. Take a step back from all that shapes your psychological constructs of who you are as a person. As a woman as an Asian woman.
These are my thoughts for Sunday evening reflection, when I will be cooking up a curry to celebrate with my family and friends.