As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we should be proud as women, look back at our success and celebrate it. We have come a long way of days of silence and submission, to days of equal rights (more needs to be done though).

As a woman, you should be free to be yourself. Celebrate yourself, hug yourself and love yourself. Avoid looking at glamour magazines and putting yourself down. Remember beauty comes from within. Your ‘words/brains’ matter more to a man than your looks. Personally, I think men usually give their future to a woman if they recall your maturity in yesterday’s issues.

We should also earn respect and keep our dignities intact especially we the single ones. The respect we earn for ourselves will determine the actions or will be a yardstick for a man’s actions towards us.

Don’t allow people to put your down. The biggest form of stigmatisation is when you stigmatise yourself. Celebrate your greatness. Don’t mourn about yesterday’s mistakes, celebrate today’s achievements. Don’t be the dependent woman; a dependent woman is a weak woman. Let us advance ourselves in every area of our lives.

We hear of too many rapes, abuses and discriminations against women. Speak up against rape, be it spousal or otherwise. Speak up against abuse, be it physical or psychological and don’t let anybody hold on your happiness, it is your responsibility to make yourself happy.

Nobody owes you anything in life. Don’t lose sleep over what somebody tells you; constructive criticisms should be welcomed, not words that will put you down.

Remember: “Beauty attracts men but wisdom keeps them. Elegance catches men’s attention but intelligence convinces them. Nagging irritates men but constructive silence weakens them.

The boy in every man pumps out occasionally, the ability to handle this is a woman’s truest maturity. Women are everywhere but queens are scarce. Let the queen in you come alive and he will hold you in high esteem. God is wisdom.”

And for the men, remember to celebrate the women in your lives- mothers, wives, and girlfriends (not only on mother’s day). Protect your loved ones and keep them safe.

Happy Women’s Day!