Today is International Women’s Day!

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Join me in a Celebration of EveryWoman!

My last blog post was over a week ago, when I acknowledged my respect and admiration for Madam C.J. Walker – the African American woman who raised herself to become the first Black female self-made millionaire in direct sales.

I have appreciated and honored International Women’s Day since 1985.  That year I had the opportunity to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, to celebrate the end of the U.N. Decade on Women.  That trip was momentous for me on so many levels. It was my first trip to Africa. I actually met my second husband on that journey. (He is Gambian. I met him there, at a beach near Bakau, Gambia, on the last leg of our three-week trip.  But that’s another story! )

Back to International Women’s Day … I thought I would share a little about the history of this day, before you giving you a real treat!

According to a United Nations website, International Women’s Day,

“ … is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.

In 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March.

International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.

1909: The first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States on 28 February. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honour of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions.”

I thought that the backdrop of the beginning of International Women’s Day was a wonderful way to introduce three entrepreneurial women who, in my estimation, represent the “EveryWoman” in my world.  You know her. That woman who comes from almost any walk of life, who is a loyal, powerful, committed wife, mother, sister and / or daughter, who has faced really challenging conditions, and has risen above the odds,  to enjoy phenomenal success, albeit without the acclaim of “celebrity.”  Her success radiates throughout her sphere of influence.  She has helped dozens – maybe hundreds of people within her reach.  Because of her, they too, are succeeding.  She’s the one that the community turns to, when there is important work to be done.  She is one they call on, because of who she is to them, and who she is, to herself. She is EveryWoman.

So here are three such women. I hope you’ll enjoy their stories, and take a little bit their of strength to make it your own.

If you like what you hear, you can join us on our journey, and create an International Women’s Day story for yourself, and the ones who love you, too.

You can learn more here.

Happy Women’s History Month!

Blessings!