This International Women’s Day, we need to treat sexism like the economic and cultural crisis it is.

It’s International Women’s Day, and I’m reflecting on a simple truth that feels sacred to me on days like these: women everywhere are deeply and powerfully connected.

I just got back from two weeks in India, where my daughter Haley and I spent time with women in Lean In Circles in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Their stories felt utterly new, yet completely familiar.

The women of Lean In Mumbai told us about how they banded together to support a woman buying her own house – a rare and difficult thing for a woman in India to do. We heard about how Indian parents convey pride in their daughters by saying “you’re like a son to me” – a genuine expression of love that reflects a deep-seated cultural preference for boys. I met a businessman whose company sponsored one of our events; he was eager to be there and no doubt sincerely supports women, but also proudly told me that he does “0% of the housework.” And we saw firsthand how segregated women and men are in daily life – and how outnumbered women are in public. Streets, buses, restaurants, even markets felt like they belonged to men.

In two weeks, I barely scratched the surface of this vast and diverse country. Still, I was struck by how much of what I heard in India echoed the stories of women in Lean In Circles in other parts of the world. Women in the workplace face biases and headwinds that men don’t. They must work harder to be seen as competent. They sometimes struggle to keep up at work because they’re doing so much at home. They’re often the only woman in the room – which feels disorienting and isolating – and are less likely to be promoted. As a result of all of this, they can end up doubting their own abilities.

Of course, many women face far worse. They live in poverty. They’re mistreated because of their race, ethnicity, or religion. Their basic human rights aren’t respected. The world can be incredibly hard on women and it’s not the same everywhere or for everyone – not by a long shot. But in my travels over the past year -– in Northern Ireland with the women of Lean In Belfast; in California with the women of Lean In Latinas; and just a few days ago, with the women of Lean In Seattle – I heard stories of being marginalized at work that echo again and again.

But something else struck me in India: the power of sisterhood. In fact, the women of our community in India call each other “Lean In sisters.” It was incredible to see how Lean In Circles – small groups of women who gather regularly to give and receive support – have flourished there. There are almost 900 Circles across India – and more than 46,000 Circles in 174 countries worldwide. These Circles are changing women’s lives. They give women a place where they aren’t Onlys anymore and where their ambitions are celebrated, not dismissed. This is what solidarity looks like: women coming together with optimism and compassion to help each other make their lives better. What could be more inspiring or more powerful?

This International Women’s Day, I’m feeling grateful for how life and Lean In have connected me with my Lean In sisters around the world. I’m feeling hopeful; women are doing extraordinary things worldwide, and it’s our job and privilege to cheer them on and lift them up. But I’m also feeling impatient – and angry. It feels like we’re sliding backward in our quest for equality, or at least stuck in place. It’s just plain wrong that so many women aren’t paid fairly, treated respectfully, or given equal access to opportunity.

The only solution is to work harder to knock down the barriers and biases standing in the way of women and girls. To do that, we need people of all genders to internalize that the workplace is sexist everywhere, because sexism is everywhere. We need to treat sexism like the economic and cultural crisis it is.

#InternationalWomensDay #IWD2020 #EachforEqual #LeanIn #LeanInSisters