For Every Woman: Celebrating Strength, Voices, and Justice on International Women’s Day
Idongesit Ubong
I still remember the first time I realised the world expected me to fit into a box simply because I was a girl. I was seven, wearing my favourite dress, proud of the story I had written for my class, only to hear a teacher dismiss it as “cute, but not serious.” That moment stayed with me, and completely dented my confidence. Even more significantly, it also taught me early that women often have to work twice as hard to be seen, heard, and valued.
Years later, the lessons continued in new forms: negotiating my first job, navigating spaces where my voice was the only woman’s, witnessing friends and colleagues being overlooked or underestimated because of their gender. There were moments of frustration, moments of doubt, but also moments of joy. I found mentors who lifted me, friends who encouraged me, and communities where women celebrated one another rather than compete with each other. Those connections reminded me that justice isn’t just a concept; it is the people who stand beside you, the allies who amplify your voice, the hands that lift you when you stumble.
International Women’s Day is often portrayed as a celebration, but for me, it is deeply entwined with justice. It is about remembering the women whose stories are rarely told: the mother working two or sometimes more jobs to feed her children, the young girl denied the chance to go to school, the woman whose voice is silenced in boardrooms or on the streets. Justice is about more than laws; it is about fairness, visibility, and respect. It is about creating a world where every woman can exist fully and fearlessly.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give To Gain,” reminds us that progress for women benefits everyone. When women and girls thrive, families become stronger, communities grow healthier and nations prosper. Achieving these gains requires deliberate contributions from governments, institutions, businesses and individuals. When institutions, businesses and governments invest in women, through education, opportunity and inclusion, we strengthen families, societies and our world as a whole.
“I think about my own small victories, speaking up in meetings, supporting younger women, and refusing to shrink to fit someone else’s idea of what is ‘acceptable.’ Each of these acts may seem minor, but combined, they ripple outward. ”
Yet the reality is that many girls are still denied the opportunities others take for granted. In Afghanistan for example, millions of girls remain barred from secondary school and university following restrictions imposed after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. And in parts of my home country, Nigeria, insecurity and cultural barriers continue to prevent many girls from accessing education and the opportunities it can bring. These realities remind us that the fight for equality is far from over, and that justice must reach every girl, everywhere.
I think about my own small victories, speaking up in meetings, supporting younger women, and refusing to shrink to fit someone else’s idea of what is “acceptable.” Each of these acts may seem minor, but combined, they ripple outward.
And I also feel the weight of responsibility. Every opportunity I have, every platform I’m given, is a chance to lift someone else and fight for systemic change. Personal progress without collective justice feels incomplete.
So today, on International Women’s Day, I choose to celebrate with intention. I celebrate the women who came before me, whose courage built pathways I now walk. I celebrate those beside me, whose solidarity and resilience inspire me every day. And I celebrate the girls of tomorrow, whose dreams we must safeguard, whose rights we must defend.
To all women reading this: your story matters. Your fight matters. Your victories, both quiet and loud, are shaping a world where justice is not an aspiration, but a standard. Let us continue to lift each other, speak for those who cannot, and demand the equality and dignity we all deserve. Today, we celebrate, but we also recommit to justice, to each other, and to the future we are building together.
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Ms Ubong is GCRD’s Media Coordinator. She recently completed a Master of Arts degree in Development Communication at the University of Uyo in Nigeria. She works in project management and media analysis.
