"Freedom lies in being bold." Robert Frost

Today is International Women's Day and the campaign theme is #BalancedisBetter, unlike last year which was #Press4Change or the 2017 version #BeBold4Change. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity, hence the hashtag #Balanced4Better.

No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women's network or media hub is solely responsible for International Women's Day. It is a global movement of women, encouraging more participation of women in business, leadership, corporate governance and most especially, politics.

"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights," says world-renowned feminist, journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem.

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." -- Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross.

The ten International Women's Day values are: Justice, Dignity, Hope, Equality, Collaboration, Tenacity, Appreciation, Respect, Empathy, Forgiveness

This year's theme Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change has collaboration as its major focus hence the campaign hashtag #BalancedisBetter When women forget that they are cooperators, collaborators, companions and not competitors or contenders then the concept of being feminine and indeed being a womanist becomes even more impossible to understand.

I love and respect in fact I adore women because without them, I doubt if I would have attained some heights. I have been blessed with amazing women who have shared their understanding of the concept of "Help Meet" with me. Today I Celebrate them!

Being Bold for Change, Pressing for Change and then innovating for Change implies understanding the complexities of what makes you a woman. It is imperative that many of our young ladies understand what it means to be a woman. We grew up knowing that women are natural caregivers. Hence in being bold to press for, or Innovate for Change, women must harness their strengths, think and act equally within themselves before launching out.

The word "Odeneho" from the Twi speaking tribe in Ghana best describes women as the rock that they truly are. Women are strong, compassionate, brilliant, talented, innovative and creative. Any woman who fails to understand that her career intuition stems from a deep desire to effect a change, to nurture and build, then the whole Gender Equity / Parity / Feminism brouhaha will continue to be a farce as women will continue to be divided.

Balance is better implies that we understand that the world is made up of both male and females. As stated earlier, women are cooperators, collaborators in the ever challenging assignment of making our world a better place. It therefore behooves them to first, create a united front within and amongst themselves before coming out to seek further partnerships with the menfolk.

As individual Odenehos, they must harness their strengths into a powerful voice and by their unified fronts negotiate better deals for themselves just like the women of Aba in 1929, for a divided house cannot stand!

To all the amazing women who continue to walk in his God's green earth, may thy strength never fail.

Happy Women's Day!

OjisiEmezie