Letter to my daughter on International Women’s Day

Photo: Shutterstock

My dear daughter, today is International Women’s Day, and I would like to explain what the date entails. When I found out that you would be a girl, I was filled with joy. Your dad and I imagined what you would be like since you were in my womb. Will you like dancing as much as I do? Will you love the arts like your dad? We searched for a powerful name that would reflect strength and kindness. We prepared every detail to welcome you with love and thoroughness and dreamed of you. We visualized you big, happy, radiant, full of life and joy. But there is something inside me that worries me, and that is why I go out every March 8 to demand fairness. I must confess that the world you arrived in scares me a little because it is true: things are not easy for women, there are many dangers, and there is machismo.

I want to tell you that International Women’s Day is not a date to congratulate ourselves for our beauty or for being a “wonder that God created.” Today is a day of struggle; the goal is to make ourselves visible and stop all kinds of abuse. I hope that when you grow up, this day becomes obsolete, and its existence will not be necessary. Hopefully, women and men are recognized equally, and gender equality is a daily practice, so common that we do not have to emphasize it. One day they called us the weak sex, and we repeat that story so many times that we end up accepting it as reality without realizing its consequences. For a long time, we women taught our children that this was the truth; that is why we want to change the paradigm.

Let’s rewrite history: Once upon a time, there was a world where all people lived together, collaborated, and learned from each other. A society in which we respect each other not for being of one sex or the other but simply for being part of humanity.

That is the meaning of Women’s Day. It is not a day against men; on the contrary, today many families march on the streets to demand equity: women and men have the same rights and opportunities but respect our differences.

The fight is not one day, nor was it born from a specific event. It is the fruit of more than a hundred years of feminist movements to demand freedom of thought and action, fair wages, and, above all, an end to all kinds of violence.

For my part, I will do my best to make you a full, confident woman but also kind, empathetic, and fair. Your mission is to be happy, find a dream, and fight for it.

You can read: What do we celebrate on March 8?

Your dad and I will be your guides, but the time will come when you must fight alone, spread your wings, and shine with all your brilliance. I only ask that when you have your daughters or sons, if you want to have them, you teach them that we are all valuable and that there is no such thing as the weaker sex.

Never let them put you down for being a woman. If someone tells you that you can’t, draw courage within yourself to prove otherwise. If they try to mistreat you or make fun of you because of your gender, raise your voice, defend yourself, and don’t be afraid to set limits. We will teach you how to do it because you are not alone.

I want you to know that you are unbelievably valuable and that only you have control over your body and your decisions. Remember that everything has positive and negative consequences, so you must consider them before making any choice.

That’s right, dear daughter. You came into the world at a time when things are changing, but it requires us to keep fighting. I hope that we no longer have to go out into the streets to shout for respect, peace, and freedom one day. Meanwhile, we don’t give up, and I ask you never do.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version: Here