I am always very torn over this day as we acknowledge and celebrate women in general, but why do we need to do it? We don’t have an International Men’s day? Where is the equality and what does it say about who holds the power.
Doesn’t seem very equal yet….
The social research across colonialism as well as trauma and abuse cycles has taught us that the abused become worse abusers. Someone who grew up under nasty colonial masters becomes a worse abuser when they get power. Someone who grew up under a mean abusive parent becomes what they were taught, unless there is an intervention of healing. I wonder how much of that is playing out in work and social relationships where women who were suppressed and fought their way up become the abusers of women under them?
No matter which side of the debate you find yourself on, resolving your own sense of being, of personhood, of value and worth is critical to how you treat yourself, what boundaries you set, and how you treat others and allow others to treat you.
Let today be the day you resolve to be a better person: A woman of personal presence and power that makes space for and nurtures others to do the same.
Celebrating women one day of the year is lovely as long as the rest of the year you don’t go back to ignoring, mistreating, underpaying, abusing, disappearing, and generally treating women as “less than” the rest of the year?
What really makes me want to scream is that sometimes it is women (who have learned the male roles well or were abused and are perpetuating the abuser role) who are the ones doing the ignoring, mistreating, underpaying, abusing, disappearing, and generally treating women as “less than” the rest of the year.
Let this International Women’s Day be the day you begin to value yourself and treat yourself as an equal. You have as much right to take up space, speak your mind, make your own choices, and be an equal partner as the men in your life whether it is corporate, church, work, home, or social arenas.
I don’t want you to misunderstand this and think I am anti-male. I am not, I have a wonderful husband of 42 years, who isn’t threatened by my competence or voice. I have some great colleagues that are the same. We work as equals and support each other.
I am against dominance and ego and control. I see the results of that in female clients all too often. The abuse and gas-lighting and put-downs…. The lack of space allowed to women is horrifying. I am speaking out for those who have yet to find their voice. I am speaking out to call out women who perpetuate it by treating other women that way.
Natural Bioenergetics coaching or therapy can help you see yourself in a different light and allow you to find that place of value and presence that is your human right. NB is the intervention that can help you stop the dysfunctional patterns you learned.
