We Are the Blueprint.

Today, we honor International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the power, resilience, and brilliance of women across the globe. But let’s be clear—this is not just a day for reflection. It’s a call to action.

The United Nations theme for this year, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” reminds us of two things: how far we’ve come and how much further we still have to go. Because while women’s leadership, innovation, and contributions are undeniable, we are still fighting battles we should have won generations ago.

We are still fighting for equal pay for equal work. We are still fighting for the right to make decisions about our own bodies. We are still fighting to be heard, to be valued, to be seen as full human beings with full agency over our lives.

And for Black women, Brown women, Indigenous women, LGBTQ+ women, disabled women, immigrant women, and women living at the margins, these fights are compounded.

But here’s the thing: Women have never waited for power to be handed to us. We build, we create, we innovate, we lead—no permission required.

Because we are the blueprint.

Women Have Always Led—Even When History Tries to Forget Us

Women’s leadership is not new. It is ancient. It is global. It is unstoppable.

Yet history books rarely tell the whole truth:

• They won’t tell you that Black women were the backbone of the Civil Rights Movement yet sidelined when it was time to take the stage.
• They won’t tell you that Indigenous women have led environmental justice movements for centuries, long before climate activism had a name.
• They won’t tell you that Black and Brown queer and trans women sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, only to be erased from its legacy.

Women have always been here. We have always led. We have always shaped history.

And yet, how often are we told that we are "too much" when we claim the power we’ve always had?

Audre Lorde once said, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

This fight is for all of us.

Because true empowerment means making sure that every woman and girl—no matter her race, class, gender identity, ability, or background—has the rights, resources, and respect she deserves.

Reclaiming Power in a World That Still Tries to Diminish Us

Even in 2025, women are still being told to wait.

Wait for your turn. Wait until you’re more experienced. Wait until the time is right.

But waiting has never been how change happens. Women’s power is not something to be granted—it is something to be reclaimed.

So how do we do that?

?? We stop apologizing for our ambition.

Women are conditioned to downplay our goals so we don’t intimidate others. ENOUGH. Take up space. Be bold about what you want. Say it out loud.

?? We build economic power.

Money is power, and we need more of it in the hands of women—especially Black women, Indigenous women, and Brown women. Whether it’s advocating for pay equity, supporting women-owned businesses, or securing funding for our ventures, financial independence is non-negotiable.

?? We lift as we climb.

There is no liberation in being the “only one.” The power of women’s leadership lies in collective success. If you have a seat at the table, bring other women with you—or better yet, build your own table.

?? We own our narratives.

For too long, others have told our stories for us—often wrong, incomplete, or erased altogether. Speak your truth. Write your history. Be intentional about how your story is told.

?? We demand more than representation—we demand transformation.

Representation is important, but it’s not enough. We don’t just need more women in leadership; we need better leadership—leaders who fight for equity, who create real change, who uplift the most marginalized among us.

As Shirley Chisholm said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

Or better yet? Build a whole new room.

For ALL Women and Girls: The Work Continues

This year’s International Women’s Day theme reminds us that empowerment cannot be selective.

It’s not enough for some women to thrive while others still fight to be seen. The rights of women and girls are still under attack worldwide. And if our feminism is not intersectional—if it is not actively working to uplift Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and low-income women—then it is not real empowerment.

Because until every woman is free, none of us are.

So today, as we celebrate the women who came before us and the women leading right now, let’s also commit to:

? Advocating for equal pay, reproductive rights, and policies that support all women.

? Supporting women-owned businesses, especially those run by Black and Brown women.

? Calling out misogyny—everywhere we see it.

? Uplifting the next generation of girls to be even bolder, louder, and freer than we are.

Final Thoughts

Women have never been passive participants in history. We have been the architects, the builders, the foundation, and the force that has kept progress moving forward—even when we were denied credit, recognition, or fundamental human rights.

We are not waiting for approval because our worth is not up for debate.

We are not asking for a seat at the table—we are building the whole damn house.

We are not a footnote in history—we are the foundation of it, the ink in its pages, and the architects of its future.

And if the world tries to erase that? We will rewrite the story louder, bolder, and with the truth at the center.

We will continue to rise, disrupt, lead, and demand more—not just for ourselves but for every woman and girl coming up behind us because the fight for equity isn’t just about today. It’s about legacy. It’s about ensuring that future generations of women don’t have to battle the same systems of oppression that we did. It’s about moving through this world with the audacity to believe that we are enough, exactly as we are, and that our power is non-negotiable.

So today, I ask you:

?? What does reclaiming power look like for you? What does it mean to step fully into your voice, your influence, and your impact? Drop a comment, and let’s lift each other up.

And if this spoke to you, subscribe to Empowered Voices—because this work doesn’t stop in March. It’s an everyday commitment. And together, we will continue to reshape the world in our image.

With power and purpose,

Dr. Kim Davis

Founder & President, Five/6teen Consulting

Empowered Voices Bookshop is Here!

Exciting news! Empowered Voices Bookshop is now live—a virtual bookshop connected to Five/6teen Consulting. Through our affiliation with Bookshop.org, we’re curating a selection of books focused on empowerment, rest, leadership, and personal growth—while supporting authors and independent bookstores.

Our first collection, Nourish & Rise: Books for Empowerment, Rest, and Personal Growth, includes:

• Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
• She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson
• Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
• I’m Not Yelling by Elizabeth Leiba
• All About Love by bell hooks

…and more! Explore the bookshop and support authors and small businesses:

?? Empowered Voices Bookshop

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.