Over the years, the media seems to have set the standard for a woman about how to live an acceptable life. This standard seems to be reason many women are striving to become as "strong" as their male counterpart (to prove a point) as though women are weak. This explains why some career paths were seen as a man's stuff. That narrative is changing as women are breaking through glass ceilings and setting the pace. This however, is not targeted at proving a point about our strength but a means of expressing the real deal with us which is being a woman.
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In ancient civilisations, womanhood was revered, because women are beautiful, they bring life into the world and they nurture the young.
Womanhood, I've come to embrace as meaning these 6 things:
Birthing Life
The ability of a woman to birth life cannot be overemphasized. Nature has endowed and entrusted us with this rare privilege to be able to birth a new life.
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Having babies is not the ‘be all and end all’ for all women, but it’s certainly something to be celebrated. The gift of being able to bring a new life into the world, to care for it and to help it grow is a wonderful gift indeed.
Multitasking and Multiple Role-Playing
This is one of our unique selling propositions as women; we are wired and strengthened to be many things to different people in our world in the space of a day without lagging behind in delivering our best a each duty post.
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A woman can be a mum, a sensuous partner, a nurse and a committed career girl, all in the space of one day.
Appreciating our Uniqueness
Being a woman is more than make up. We are more than the hour-glass shape that makes men run head over heels. Whether plus size or not; flat tommy or not; with/without those stretch marks, we are women and that's the big deal. Acknowledging this helps us honour and respect ourselves.
A woman who honours herself helps all women reach their potential
Our physique doesn't change the greatness we carry. So, enough of women walking with heads bowed because they are not comfortable with how they look.
What your body looks like doesn't matter--all that matters is how proud you are of it. You're going to have it for the rest of your life, so you better get used to loving it!
I'm not saying we shouldn't strive to be fit, but the essence of staying fit isn't to seek approval. Being a woman is thus about being proud of my body.
Dreaming Big and Pursuing It
As a pregnant lady, i wanted to take on a major career challenge mid-way pregnancy. I was focused about being the best at the rigorous 18-week training exercise that would give me the needed platform. I went for it and viola! I made it as second in my class after my final exams which was at my 40th week of pregnancy. This is what Womanhood is about.
Go for gold. Dream big and pursue those dreams because you're more than able to realise those dreams.
Building Together
A lot of great things are birthed when we work together as women, leveraging on one another's strength -this is how i embrace womanhood. We aren't mediocres. We do not pull down other women.
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You know this contest wouldn't have been if there was no International Women's Day (IWD) and IWD wouldn't have been if not for Clara Zetkin and the 100 women in attendance in 1910 at an International Conference of Working Women, in Copenhagen, that supported Clara when she presented the idea of celebrating International Women's Day.
Influence
Womanhood is about influence and every woman has got some level of influence, although this influence is deployed at varying degrees. Countless women have done valiantly and achieved great things in the world over because they acknowledged and channelled rightly the influence they have.
Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary to Nigeria stopped the infanticide of twins which was an act prevalent among a tribe in southeastern Nigeria.
Mother Teresa lived her whole life for humanity. She founded Missionaries of Charity which manages homes for people dying of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis; orphanages, schools, mobile clinics, etc with over 4,500 sisters and presence in 133 countries as at 2012.
Need i talk about in no particular order Oprah Winfrey, Theresa May,Joyce Meyer, Chinamanda Adichie, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Okonjo Iweala, Melinda Gates, Peggy Whitson, Maggie MacDonnell, Anne-Marie Imafidon, Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Wojcicki, and the list is endless. The good part is that many more women are using their influence positively to get great things done for their immediate environments and countries as large.
As i wrap up, more than ever before, making the voices of women heard across race and space has been taking the front burner because of the potentials we carry.
No longer will our voices be silenced.
No longer will be victims of discrimination, harassment and victimization.
No longer would we walk with heads bowed in shame and low self-esteem.
Our rights as women will be protected.
And we will continue to Press for Progress.
This is my entry for Celebrate International Women's Day with a 40 STEEM Giveaway by 