What it means to be a woman today has changed so drastically from what I was told it was supposed to be. I was venomous by 13 that I did not want to be trapped by the traditional characteristics of what I’d been told it meant to be a proper woman.  

What I had Been Told

The term that was used “at me” and yes I did say “at me,”  was you must strive to be a virtuous woman. I think back now, how often that religiosity based term was used as a whip against my lifestyle choices rather than a loving embrace. I am by far not the only woman who has been frowned upon for choosing to define what being a woman means to them, and I will not be the last.

Define Yourself As Woman

We as women are constantly in a fight to justify who we are when it does not align to current society or community set norms. It makes daily living a challenge as your never sure where your focus needs to be. 

At times simply being a woman can be overwhelming.

Here is what I want to say to every woman. Do not be afraid to innovate the woman you choose to be. Today your choice may be to stay at home, be a mum and focus on your children. You don’t have to apologize for leaving your career or delaying it. It is important to make the choice that is in-line with your current values and that is commendable. 

What is just as honorable is women who choose to fight while climbing the corporate ladder to have an equal seat and respect in what is still a male-dominated world. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are leaving your feminity at the bottom of the ladder and question your womanhood. As a woman, you have the power to choose.

What Agile Has Taught Be

I pull from the often forgotten paragraph of the agile manifesto. We are uncovering better ways… by doing it and helping other through this work we have come to value.. Today my approach is to find what I really value and go for it.  No, or it can’t be done is never an acceptable answer for me.   Instead, my actions show my intentions to change a no to a yes, or to come up with an answer that suits the me I am today as a woman.  I take the time to reflect, inspect how can be a better me, how can help another woman discover their own voice and capabilities. In helping other woman I often gain such deep insights.

Looking To Tomorrow

When I see the faces of my daughters and granddaughters, I want them to know they are equal to anyone else regardless of gender.  They are humans who happen to be women interacting positively with other humans agnostic of gender label. 

 As a community of change agents let us continue to be courageous to call out biases that get the in the way of progress and let’s be transparent about the prejudices we ourselves carry that help fuel the block rather than remove it. It may not be in my lifetime, but I choose to believe it will be in my grandaughters lifetime that a better way will have been discovered, implemented, and innovated.

Women, we are equal even if the world still fails to recognize it. 

“Happy Woman’s Equality Day.”— Lizzy Morris, co-founder of BeardedEagle