It has been a while since my last post, I had been waiting for a good source of inspiration to post something that is not as gray and rather cheerful and well what a better day than International Women’s day! But as I reflect on this, I can’t help but to think about things that always lead me to the gray or rather dark side of what should be a cheery celebration of the female gender. It should be noted that we have indeed come a looooong way but as we have jumped a series of obstacles there are women around the world that are still struggling to overcome them and still don’t enjoy the “freedoms” that women in western societies do. Even there, in the world where we are allowed to vote, to work, to drive, to act as agents of our own lives we still have to cope with lack of respect, lower salaries, harassment, abuse, and a list of many other things that make me think that we still have a long fight to endure to truly achieve gender development and equitability. Women’s day shouldn’t just be one day just as black history month shouldn’t be just one month and labor day shouldn’t be just one day, these are things that we should be conscious off EVERY DAY. Now, there is always the occasional smart-ass that would say “where is men’s day?” well my dear, in a world ruled by white males you just don’t get to have your cake and eat it too, rather reflect on why we have all these “days” and why we need to have these reminders in society to think about issues that we don’t pay enough attention to.
To all you women reading this I just want to say thank you and may you have the strength to keep fighting our fight. May you always keep your chin high, may you always nurture love and peace and happiness and may you always have and receive love, peace and happiness. Let’s always try to support each other, our mothers and our sisters, we are all one. At this very moment there are millions of women struggling to fight for a better world. There are those that are being oppressed, those that are being humiliated, those that don’t have a voice. We should think of them, keep them in our prayers and pray that they can find a way out.
Para aquellas que luchan cada día en contra de las injusticias que conlleva el ser mujer, no se den por vencidas, hay que seguir adelante, el día de la mujer es todos los días! Hay que ayudarnos las unas a las otras, hay que apoyarnos, escucharnos y darnos la mano para salir adelante. Estoy segura que si este mundo le diera apoyo incondicional a las mujeres y tuviéramos un sistema que nos respete y realicemos todas nuestra metas, este mundo seria muchísimo mejor. Pero tengo esperanza chicas! Hay que darle duro! Que este día nos sirva para recordarnos quien somos, lo que representamos y lo chingonas que somos! jeje 😉
Gracias a mi mamita linda por hacerme la mujer que soy, gracias a mis hermanas en mi familia por ser parte de mi, gracias a mis amigas por las risas que hemos compartido y por ser parte de mi vida!! Ok this one deserves some translation, thanks to my momma for making me the woman I am today, thanks to my sisters in my family for being part of me and thank you all to my friends, amigas, for the laughs that we have shared and for being part of my life!
Besos
Sandra
Bangladeshi woman. Courtesy of National Geographic Magazine
My friend Wida and her son Chile in Bali, Indonesia
Woman walking on the beach in Timouyage, Jacmel, Haiti
Women making decorations for a house blessing in Bali, Indonesia
A woman with a lot of cojones in Mexico. First woman, 20 yr old, to lead a police unit that nobody wanted to lead due to the scale in violence due to the drug war in Mexico.
Women being part of the change in Egypt...yes!
Sandra y Su Granito de Arena 