<\/p>\n
Girls Like You <\/strong><\/p>\n Blogging about International Women\u2019s Day has become almost tradition at this point. You may think it odd that I continue to celebrate this day every year though it\u2019s not considered an international holiday. But every year, International Women\u2019s Day exemplifies the importance of positive reinforcement for young girls. Whenever I browse social media on March 8th, I\u2019m always flooded with stories about strong women I can aspire to be or shown stories of the women who\u2019ve fought for the rest of us to have made it so far. I\u2019m also shown ways of helping others, whether that be through the UN Women\u2019s social media pages, or Plan International or Amnesty International, I see a way of helping women who aren\u2019t as fortunate as I am. But the most prominent feeling I get from International Women\u2019s Day every year is that women deserve to feel valued and that by lifting each other up we can all feel stronger. Cheesy, but true.<\/p>\n This International Women\u2019s Day I\u2019m celebrating the women in my life. Whether that be friends I\u2019ve grown up with through school, friends I\u2019ve met through sports, friends I\u2019ve gained through musical theatre, friends I\u2019ve met more recently at University or the incredible women I\u2019m surrounded by in my family. I\u2019ve never felt limited by any of them, and all I\u2019ve ever received is support. Support to push beyond the boundaries that may sometimes be in my way, and support to continue through those boundaries when there\u2019s no way around them.<\/p>\n This International Women\u2019s Day I want to thank the women who\u2019ve had my back (and held my hair). To my friends, who I see every day being sensational young women and forging paths for themselves. To my family, who\u2019ve shown me ways of being an amazing woman, regardless of whether they\u2019re older than me or not. And to the women I see in the media punching through stereotypes and fighting even when it seems impossible. Thank you.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the perfect time to be a woman in today\u2019s age; between the fight for reproductive rights, the fight for an equal place at the table, the fight to have the choice who to marry and when and the fight against the stereotypes, it\u2019s still a tough world. But it used to be far, far tougher and we can\u2019t deny that some things are better. Young girls are able to open a magazine and see people like Ashely Graham or Iskra Lawrence looking like their body type and having it be celebrated. Others are looking at entertainment and seeing that they are so much more than the stereotype that have thrust upon them because of the colour of their skin. Others are realising that they weren\u2019t born to be in the body they have and understanding that that\u2019s okay. Some are realising that they get to love whomever they want to love, and it\u2019s a brilliant thing. Young women and women everywhere are beginning to see their value, because there are more outlets showcasing every kind of woman. So yeah, being a woman\u2019s still not perfect, but at least women are understanding that they deserve the perfect rights.<\/p>\n International Women\u2019s Day began on February 28, 1909 when the Socialist Party of America organised a women\u2019s day in New York, with the International Socialist Woman\u2019s Conference suggesting a Women\u2019s Day be held annually. March 8th was introduced by the Soviet Union in 1917 when women gained suffrage and the date became a national holiday, later being adopted as the international date for Women\u2019s Day in 1975 by the United Nations. To reiterate what I say every year, today isn\u2019t a day for bashing men \u2013 I\u2019d actually like to celebrate my Dad and my brother for always encouraging me to be me and be the best person I can be. Today is a day to celebrate the women in our history who have shaped the world when it was deemed impossible for them to do so.<\/p>\n Mary Kom, an Indian boxer once said, \u201cDo not say you are weak, because you are a woman\u201d. Don\u2019t limit yourself because of your gender; sex is biological, gender is a social construct. The stereotypes placed on women have been placed there by the men and women of the past. Think \u2013 a century ago women weren\u2019t allowed to vote in elections because \u2018common sense\u2019 deemed that women were incapable of making sound decisions without the aid of a man. The world has seen a fair share of female political leaders since then. Women who\u2019ve changed the world in some way, or at least changed the world\u2019s perception of what it is to be a woman. Being born a woman ought not limit anyone, and I\u2019ll be damned if the young women growing up in this century think less of themselves because of the sex on their birth certificate.<\/p>\n Whether you were born a woman or discovered later in life you should have always been a woman, you count. You are more than the limits the world will often put on you.<\/p>\n You count, you mean something, and I can\u2019t wait to see you change the history books.<\/p>\n By Tirion Davies<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Girls Like You Blogging about International Women\u2019s Day has become almost tradition at this point. You may think it odd that I continue to celebrate this day every year though it\u2019s not considered an international holiday. But every year, International Women\u2019s Day exemplifies the importance of positive reinforcement for young girls. Whenever I browse social media on March 8th, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[334,274,228],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-1tX","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7421,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=7421","url_meta":{"origin":5701,"position":0},"title":"International Women\u2019s Day","author":"Alan Williams","date":"2nd April 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"International Women\u2019s Day It was recently International Women\u2019s Day, so Happy International Women\u2019s Day! I have always been surrounded by incredible women. Between my Mam championing STEM and balancing a full-time career with twins, to my aunt who has raised my three cousins solo since they were young and doing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Interest Articles"","block_context":{"text":"General Interest Articles","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=334"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2927,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=2927","url_meta":{"origin":5701,"position":1},"title":"Women Run The World","author":"Alan Williams","date":"31st March 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Recently, it was International Women\u2019s Day, which means we get to celebrate women. This day was originally \u2018International Women\u2019s Working Day\u2019, a day used when it made its first appearance in 1909 in remembrance of the 1908 strike of the International Ladies Garment\u2019s Union. There was need for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Play Hard Work Hard"","block_context":{"text":"Play Hard Work Hard","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=274"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4436,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=4436","url_meta":{"origin":5701,"position":2},"title":"International Women\u2019s Day","author":"Alan Williams","date":"27th March 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 This International Women\u2019s Day I had the incredible opportunity to be on BBC Radio Cymru with some of the most incredible young women. Speaking about a subject so close to my heart in my native language is a high I feel I can\u2019t come down from. But more importantly,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Miscellaneous"","block_context":{"text":"Miscellaneous","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=127"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5048,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=5048","url_meta":{"origin":5701,"position":3},"title":"Early-Marriages Are Detrimental","author":"Alan Williams","date":"30th September 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Since I was little, I imagined what my future wedding would be like. The dress, the layout, the partner; all children daydream about the day they will marry their soulmate. I always wondered what they would look like, their personality, how we would meet, how old I would be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Letters"","block_context":{"text":"Letters","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=138"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4649,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=4649","url_meta":{"origin":5701,"position":4},"title":"I Just Turned Eighteen","author":"Alan Williams","date":"26th May 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I just turned eighteen \u2013 and I mean just. But I don\u2019t \u2018feel\u2019 eighteen. I\u2019m not sure what it\u2019s supposed to feel like, but I\u2019m pretty sure I don\u2019t feel it\u2026 But turning eighteen has made me reminisce about the past eighteen years, and there are a few people I\u2019d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Play Hard Work Hard"","block_context":{"text":"Play Hard Work Hard","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=274"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4940,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=4940","url_meta":{"origin":5701,"position":5},"title":"Love is a Losing Game","author":"Alan Williams","date":"16th September 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Love is a Losing Game Imagine being paralysed by fear in your own home. Imagine being hit to the point of breaking but you must continue to live with your abuser. Imagine if you lived in a country where unless you are hospitalised \u2013 that is, if you have the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Miscellaneous"","block_context":{"text":"Miscellaneous","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=127"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5701"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5701"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5702,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5701\/revisions\/5702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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