In Celebration of International Women’s Day

On March 8th, the world will celebrate influential, inspirational and impressive women. Posts will be shared, actions will be recognized, and achievements will be applauded. Yes, these women deserve all of the praise they get on this day (albeit deserving of praise every day); they work hard, push boundaries,  break glass ceilings. But what about the other women? The ones in the shadows working minimum paying jobs hustling their butts off for their families so that they can survive day-to-day life. The women who decide to stay at home raising the next generation of learners and adapters. The cashiers, the servers, the housekeepers, the bus drivers, the administrators, and the dry-cleaners. What about the women who aren’t bosses, Fortune 500 players, motivational speakers, or influencers – don’t they also deserve recognition on this day, and every day?

Women are often the harshest critics, especially to themselves, and I fear that IWD, although instrumental in recognizing powerful women, becomes another day for women to compare and feel failure; to question their worth, and an opportunity put themselves down, while seeing other women being praised.

We are all working to achieve something, be it that CEO title with its luxurious vacation homes and global speaking gigs, or that 5-o-clock punch out time so we can rush home to our families, (or just somewhere in the middle). One does not take precedence over the other, so why then, is one celebrated and the other ignored? We need to support all women regardless of their job status, successes, and titles.

Yes, let’s celebrate the women who have accomplished so much, but let’s also celebrate the women that this type of occasion often forgets to mention. In my opinion, they are the ones most deserving of the recognition. So, wherever you are and whatever your occupation, you are valued and appreciated this International Women’s Day, and every day! alice mollon/Getty Images