April 10th, 2020

March 8th was International Woman’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It was a chance to publicly raise awareness about women who have blazed the trail and made a path for other women in the process. It was a time to show love and promote girl bosses and women who are inspirational and motivating. All over social media I saw women shouting out businesses, female business owners, athletes and celebrities. It was inspiring and moving to see women support other women in this way. Traditionally, we’ve been taught that other women are our competition. It can sometimes feel that way in this male-driven society, little there simply isn’t room enough for too many of us. A competitive spirt is not a bad thing. However, the competition is not the other woman. There is enough room for all of us to make it. The change will happen when we decide to uplift one another. I think it is important to tell other women we admire them and that they are doing a good job. It is important to encourage other women more often. If you think someone is a good mom - tell them, if you admire the fact that a woman has started her business – hype her, if you admire the way a girl overcame a major setback- encourage her to keep pushing. You may think it is a small thing to do, to offer encouragement randomly, but to the woman who needed to hear it, it's priceless. There have been days when a random compliment from another woman shifted my attitude. We should empower the women around us to succeed and excel in every aspect of their lives. We are currently in an era where women are being celebrated and are given opportunities more than ever before. Let’s not throw these opportunities away in an attempt to get ahead of one another. Let’s stop mistreating each other and encourage other women to make them stronger and more confident. This way when one of us wins, she can reach back and do the same for another girl.

-Queen Aisha