Cover Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
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Inspired by this year’s IWD theme, embrace equity, a life coach shares how women can be empowered by their individuality
This March, I feel tremendously excited for the global movement towards inspiring and empowering women. The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is embracing equity. I reflected on previous years and how far we’ve come in celebrating women, but this year feels like a more powerful time to be able to shine a light on our individuality and uniqueness. I interpret embracing equity as the celebration of being noticed. We should embrace and be proud of our ability to stand out, not conform. I learned this from my own experience.
I was that kid who grew up fully aware of my ethnicity, floating through an international school of diverse races, faces, cultures and languages. Growing up in a predominately homogenous country like Japan in my formative years, there was a clear distinction between race and ethnicity. It was hardwired into my thinking to subconsciously channel myself to wanting to be like everyone else. Without explicitly noticing it, I was trying to conform, be like others, and downplay the attributes that made me different.
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Above Shireena Shroff Manchharam with her daughter
Shireena Shroff Manchharam with her daughter
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Today at 40, I know who I am, but it took years to remove the covering that I was wearing to make me like everyone else. I am Indian, I was that brown kid, and now I am this brown woman. I acknowledge who I am, and place value on the person I’ve become. I’m overjoyed that women and young girls can start discovering who they are and place value on their differences at an earlier age.
Generations ago, being a woman was not celebrated. Often, it was a burden, or even a reflection of a family’s poor karma in having a daughter. As we progressed as a society, the way we view women has changed, and now we see female trailblazers in all industries. We are even able to draw inspiration from our own daughters who have the determination to change the world.
It took generations for women to let go of what society deems is right for them. It was equally as hard to stop the pressure we put on ourselves about what we think we should be like. How magnificent it is to be here today and to tell our daughters that it isn’t just about equality and treating everyone the same. Instead, we are celebrating each person for who they are, and what makes them unique and fabulous. If we only strive to be treated equally, we still aren’t being authentically and individually valued. This year, we embrace equity and the importance of being open-minded enough to look at those around us as individual, distinctive, and special beings.
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Above Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
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To embrace equity, the first thing we need to do is place value on who we are. That starts with letting go of what others think and start growing that seed inside you which is full of your own beliefs, values, and interests.
Secondly, let’s start being braver. Maybe that’s following a passion or loving someone, or not being afraid of saying and standing up for the things you truly believe it.
Thirdly, this year I encourage you to draw inspiration not from the thousands of amazing women out there, but from you. The wonderful, amazing you that can be here, present in this moment. Who you are matters. What you do and believe in matters. What makes you fiercely unique and different matters—and that’s the reason we are celebrating you today.
