Celebrating Our Collective WisdomInternational Women’s Day

Wisdom often involves recognizing injustices and striving for a fairer society. While individuals may have different perspectives on how to achieve gender equality, supporting International Women’s Day is generally seen as a commitment to progress and inclusivity. The significance of Women's Day, celebrated globally on March 8th (today) is deeply rooted in advocating for gender equality, recognizing the achievements of women, and highlighting the ongoing struggles women face worldwide.

Here's why today is so important:

Promoting Gender Equality

Women's Day brings global attention to the need for gender equality in all aspects of life — from the workplace and education to politics and health care. It advocates for equal opportunities and rights for women and challenges the systemic discrimination they often face.

Celebrating Women's Achievements

It serves as a celebration of the incredible contributions women have made to society, in every field imaginable, including science, art, politics, sports, business, and social change. Women's Day highlights the positive impact women have had throughout history, often recognizing those whose contributions have been overlooked or undervalued.

Highlighting Ongoing Struggles

Women's Day is not just a celebration; it's also a time to shine a light on the many challenges women still face, such as unequal pay, gender-based violence, lack of access to education, reproductive rights, and underrepresentation in leadership roles. It serves as a reminder that there is still much work to be done.

Empowerment of Women

The day is also about empowering women and girls, encouraging them to strive for their dreams and break through barriers. It's a reminder that their voices matter, their dreams count. 

Global Solidarity

International Women's Day unites people across cultures, countries, and communities in a shared pursuit of gender equality. It fosters solidarity among women and allies, emphasizing the importance of collective action in overcoming the challenges that women face globally.

Advocacy for Change

The day serves as a platform for raising awareness and pushing for policy and societal changes that can improve women's lives. This can include calls for equal pay, improved healthcare, enhanced protections against violence, and better representation in leadership and decision-making positions.

This year in particular, Women's Day is a powerful reminder that the fight for women's rights and gender equality is far from over, and it serves as both a celebration of progress and a call to action for future change.

The United Nations has designated the 2025 IWD theme as "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment." This theme emphasizes the importance of ensuring that all women and girls, regardless of their backgrounds, have access to their rights, experience equality, and are empowered to reach their full potential.

Supporting International Women's Day (IWD) is a choice that many wise individuals make, as it aligns with values of equality, human rights, and social progress. Throughout history, many intellectuals, leaders, and activists—both men and women—have supported gender equality and the empowerment of women.

In ancient Greece, certain philosophical schools and thinkers recognized women's capacity for wisdom, challenging the prevailing norms of their time. In his work The Republic, Plato (c. 427–347 BCE): advocated for the equal potential of women and men in pursuing wisdom and governing society. He proposed that women should receive the same education and training as men, allowing them to serve as guardians and rulers if they demonstrated the necessary aptitude. This perspective was notably progressive, as it suggested that intellectual and leadership abilities were not confined by gender. 

Philosophers like John Stuart Mill, who advocated for women's rights in The Subjection of Women, and modern figures such as Malala Yousafzai, who champions girls' education, exemplify wisdom in supporting women's empowerment. Many respected global organizations, including the United Nations and various academic institutions, also endorse IWD as an important day for reflection and action.

I hope you are spending part of this day in reflection with your daughters, grandchildren, mothers, colleagues, teachers and friends.  See you March 20th for our next Wise Women’s session.

Respectfully, 

• Barb