International Women’s Month

Written by: Nurit Amichai, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

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March 8th was the day designated to celebrate women. Imagine, a day set aside to celebrate the magnificent and irreplaceable gender of the species without whom there would be a dearth of all things good, including more humans on the planet.

I remember a retort to Mother’s Day that went something like, “Everyday should be Mother’s Day”. And, I think that’s true, women should be celebrated every day. To that, I am happy to report there is actually an International Women’s Month. So, women are celebrated for an entire month – the month of March in the West.

What does it mean to celebrate women?

According to UNESCO, “International Women's Day is an occasion to celebrate the progress made towards achieving gender equality and women's empowerment but also to critically reflect on those accomplishments and strive for a greater momentum towards gender equality worldwide.”

Gender equality … now that’s a very interesting combination of words. Essentially, what the authors are trying to communicate (I think, because I wasn’t in their heads when they created that combination), is that women are as important as men and deserve the fundamental human right of being acknowledged as such. I’m curious … where was the story created that women are less than?

It’s incredible to me that despite the many gains made in the past decades in terms of changing the position of women and girls from chattel, property, and “lesser”, so many challenges remain. The laws that force little girls into marriage and forbid them from education are still strongly prevalent in many societies. Sexual abuse and violence against girls and women are still reported at the rate of one in five women and girls experiencing the horrors of male abuse (UNFPA). It’s still okay to hurt a woman and then toss her out. Not.

I grew up in the West – in Canada, in a society that respected the rights and freedoms of individuals. At least that’s what I believed. Nevertheless, in that very society women have had to fight long and hard for recognition and respect. Of course, over the course of decades, things have changed considerably and there are more and more women moving into places of leadership. Still, the pay scale is different and lower for women than for men, despite the fact that university enrollment is predominantly female these days. Women now comprise nearly 60 percent of enrollment in universities and colleges and men just over 40 percent, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports.

So, where does that leave us today? There is definitely a shift happening worldwide – a shift in awareness, an awakening of sorts that will see women doing and succeeding at what men have been trying to do forever. The understanding that women hold the keys to so many doors that have either remained locked or are very hard to open, is being recognized throughout the world. The Athena Doctrine is a case in point here – worthwhile reading for every woman and man who is alive to the changes that are long overdue in world governance.

As for this woman, I continue to learn, grow and effect change in whatever ways I can. Sharing the wisdom I’ve garnered over the many years I’ve been on the planet, the life lessons learned along the way, and making myself heard, are all important to me. I look forward to the day when women will be recognized as the true leaders and healers they are, the proof of which is in the people they birthed, raised, taught and equipped for life.

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Nurit Amichai, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine Nurit Amichai is a holistic therapist and life coach who provides individuals with an opportunity to strip away old, unproductive and damaging habits and create new, lasting behaviors that support the dynamic and powerful life they really want to live. As a result of a devastating illness, she set about rebuilding her body and life through nutrition and fitness. Realizing that wasn't enough, she entered the personal growth world where she allowed her truths to surface by giving herself permission to face and then release the pain and self-destructive behaviors she had harbored for so many years. This experience birthed the desire to share these lessons and gifts with others. She has merged all of the disciplines learned over decades — nutrition, fitness, and mental and emotional health — into the true passion of her life: to help people heal and gain optimal health, giving her clients the benefit of many years of learning and experience, coaching them and giving them tools for finding fulfillment and unleashing their own personal power.