Friday 8th was International Women’s Day, and in this note allow me to wish all the ladies here a happy International Women’s Month I hope you at least patted yourself on the back for the far that you have come.
As I write this today I am in awe of the women who stand up for their fellow women, shattering the narrative that women are their own worst enemies, in my opinion, it is always the danger of a single narrative or probably the product of socialization. Could it be that the narration began when there was a realization of just how powerful women could be once they became aware of who they are and what they carry?
My life thus far has been impacted by the strong women I have encountered, my mother, the woman who raised me and believes in me more than I do myself, the therapists I have had to sit with, the business mogul who knows no fear and is not afraid to pursue what she wants, the sister who is also my confidante and greatest cheerleader, the handful of friends who call me out on my not so bright moments, the friends who constantly remind me that above all… God (especially in the moments I desire to rebel). Most times, they are the people who held space for me.
I marvel at how many hits a woman will take, before she backs down. Even amid brokenness, all it takes is a spark and the fire lights up again. I weep for the women who lose their lives amid the hits, and despair at just how exhausting it is to constantly prove that women are humans with agency.
I love the poem by Maya Angelou- Still I Rise, because it reminds me of just how powerful a woman is. I may not know how many hits you have taken, or how hard the blow that makes you fall on your knees is, I may never understand just how many times you have had to put the pieces of your heart together, or the pain behind the tears that stain your pillow, but I am sure you will rise.
The past and the present have records of phenomenal women;
- Wangari Maathai Woman who stood up to a regime that was feared for the sake of our environment.
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala World Trade Organisation Director General
- Field Marshall Muthoni Kirima one of the Mau Mau greats.
- Mekatilili wa Menza Shawry for uprisings and mob psychology, how she convinced guys that bullets would melt once they touched their bodies is crazy, but she got things started.
- Margaret Ann Bulkley Also known as James Barry the first woman doctor who had a pseudonym because women could not practice at the time.
- Rosa Parks The lady who birthed the civil rights movement
- Judge Deborah Lady who arose for the sake of Israel, as a Judge, a Prophet, and a mother.
- Jael Shawry for tent pin through the brain. She killed Sisera.
- Michelle Obama this one made it here because of a statement she made, when allegedly they went to a restaurant that belonged to her ex, and Obama told her that had she been married to him (the restaurant guy), she would be the owner of the lovely little eatery. Michelle is reported to have told her husband, that had she married her Ex, he would have been president instead of Obama, for me was mind-blowing.
- (Your name) You have made it this far, in your way you are making ripples, over time they shall become waves. As you set out to discover yourself, remember to do so, with God.
Rest in the knowledge of who you are
Wanjiru Mbuthia
