Should we all agree on one thing, it is that women are the backbone of our society. Even misogynists will agree, because well, some facts we can not argue with. But I think women deserve more recognition, recognition and respect that is long over due. Their contributions are much more than child bearing and nurturing, a one sided identity which society has hammered onto them, even so, an excuse to tie them around the home.
Before you draw out your spears, I also don’t think staying at home is “evil,” if it is what the woman wants. I find the problem; in this home becoming a prison where all her dreams and aspirations die, instead of a garden where her childhood dreams bloom.
But what happens when a woman wants to be more than a mother? Why does it seem overzealous when she says its not her priority to be a stay-at-home parent? For a long while, -even today its true that regardless of how much a woman achieves, if she ultimately does not get married and bear children. It will neve be enough, and she will not be fulfilled.
I think, the hard pill that society has chocked trying to swallow is that she can become anything. An excellent mother and CEO, a good wife and feminist, a great sister and Deejay. It is not by mistake, that many of us will confuse Womens day with Mothers day, but it is by default. Our default settings categorise womanliness with motherhood, a notion that is largely untrue.
We as a society have always looked at women as a source of healing. Healers from the ancient time were usually women, who were considered to be one with nature. Possessors of the power of transforming brokenness into wholeness, war into peace, physical and spiritual illness into health. In the spirit of honouring and recognising women, we celebrate an African woman who has made notable contributions in the fashion industry of Africa. We appreciate every woman who has made notable contributions and yet goes on unrecognised (not fair). We celebrate all women, all over the world and take a bow for their contribution to our society. We also urge all leaders in our society, organisations, governments to be advocates of women and their rights, and amplifiers of their voice.
As the Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards, we hail women for their contribution to our society. The beautifully strong yet kind unsung heroes who don’t retire, to the bold one’s challenging stereotypes, and the ones showing younger girls (and boys) that it is all achievable. Happy Women’s Day!
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