"Man, I Feel Like a Woman" - Celebrating and Reflecting on International Women's Day

As a member of the Columbia College Women board, participant in LinkedIn's Women at LinkedIn (W@LI) organization, and founder of an all-female dance team, I consider myself to be fairly active in women's advocacy efforts. What does this truly mean, however?

It took me a while to identify this for myself and arguably, I am still on a journey of discovery. In college, I used to eschew all female special interest groups. I felt that I had equal opportunity in all academic and internship opportunities I was exposed to at the time and saw these groups as being merely another way to capitalize on a minority interest.

It was only when I started working full-time that I began to appreciate the value and need to advocate for women's interests. I realized that while there wasn't a clear difference in opportunity at my junior professional level, there was a very clear difference in how I internalized issues at the workplace relative to my male peers. If I received a critique, I would take it much more personally; I would embark on an intensive journey of self-reflection, struggling to understand how I had failed, why I had failed, and how I needed to change. Meanwhile, many of my male coworkers, while still sensitive to the issues at hand, would shrug the critique off and move on.

I have realized that there is no right or wrong; rather, as women, it is important for us to understand the distinctive behavioral traits that make us the individuals we are and learn how to harness these to our advantage.

The world of women's issues is an increasingly complex global realm. There is much to be concerned about, including the threat of the zika virus, sparking intensive debates on contraception and abortion, and the continuing fight for women's education, thwarted by groups such as Boko Haram in Africa. At the same time, we have much to celebrate, including the fact that the U.S. may have its first female president, the emergence of new and younger champions of women's rights such as Malala Yousafzai, and increased media coverage of rape and domestic violence.  

It is important for us women to understand that many of the issues that we face are similar to the issues that other minority groups face, along racial, religious, and socieconomic lines. Rather than viewing ourselves as part of an isolated advocacy battle, it is important to view ourselves as part of a holistic movement for human equality and advancement. 

I embrace the duality of being able to wear heels, dress up, and go out on the town one night, and then stay in, handle my finances, and work towards advancing my career the next. As the poetic Shania Twain puts it oh so well - "Man, I feel like a woman!" Happy International Women's Day, ladies!