Over Spring Break, I reconnected with my high school journalism teacher. She has been my role model since my junior year of high school, over four years ago. When I think of times when I felt inspired by her, I always remember her telling me about her collegiate years. She said very few women went to college, graduated and then got jobs. She worked in the field before deciding to inspire students in high school. Today I am proud to be a part of the generation that is breaking the glass ceiling. As I reflected on this, I remembered scrolling through Instagram one Sunday earlier this month. Women my age and older were posting pictures with other women and inspiring quotes about determination and aspirations they have for the past, present and future. Soon I realized that Sunday, March 8, was International Women’s Day. Why did I not know about this day before? According to internationalwomensday.com, it is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women of past and future generations. Specifically, this year marked the 104th observance of International Women’s Day. Until now, it has never crossed my mind to look up what this day is about and why we recognize the achievements of women in this way. When I asked my friends that posted about it how they found out about Women’s Day, they told me how they found out about it online and in class discussions. As I thought more about it, I found it more and more absurd that it was not celebrated more in this country. In the past decades, women have made an everlasting impact on this country and the whole world. Through politics and corporate settings, we have broken the barrier that kept us away from success. Other countries have celebrated this day with strikes, movements and revolutions. In Copenhagen, they honor the movement for women’s rights and build more support for universal suffrage. Beijing has conferences and a month long celebration. In countries like Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women’s Day is a national holiday. Although the United States has minor celebrations for Women’s Day, the country should be celebrating the role women in a much bigger way. We should be celebrating the accomplishments of the dignified, inspired and successful women we call our friends, classmates, professors and family.
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