March is for the ladies.
Established in 1987, Women’s History Month celebrates female achievements, highlights the continued need for gender equality, and honors the vital roles women have played throughout history.
Notably, female identity is historically associated with the color purple. Purple signifies justice and dignity, but it also represents sovereignty, royalty, and power. Composed of two strikingly dynamic colors, purple is equal parts the calm stability of blue and the fierce, passionate energy of red.
Purple is beauty.
Purple is struggle.
Purple is potential.
Purple is female.
One of the things I love most about women is that when we come together to support one another and raise each other up, anything (and everything) is truly possible.
Alone, one woman has power. Together, women have impact.
Humans benefit when individual ambition and collective teamwork come together to harmoniously cultivate a greater, holistic competitive advantage. Collaboration benefits everyone, men included, but research shows it particularly benefits women. Indeed, study after study proves women who have an inner circle of close female role models and confidants are more likely to cultivate healthy self-image, climb the social ladder, and ultimately empower other women to succeed.
While I have been fortunate to encounter a series of influential female role models, no one has played a more formative role in my development than my mom. Mom has always encouraged me to dream big, hustle hard, and pursue my goals unapologetically. In countless ways she has fearlessly modeled the grit and bravery I strive to embody, and I cannot imagine life without her as my biggest fan. Mom has been with me through thick and thin, coaching me with guidance when I needed it and pushing me to pave my own path, derive my own meaning, and take calculated risks when it terrified me the most. She is the foundation of my successes and the inspiration for what I hope to become.
Incredible things happen when women support other women. Barriers break, obstacles dissolve, and a powerful chorus of voices begins to emerge. While there are infinite ways to achieve this end, perhaps it is helpful for us as a society to commit to the following three working agreements:
- Shatter the illusion of perfection: Society often expects women to “have it all,” to have the perfect job, to have the model family, and to look good doing it. Perfection plays an oversized role in the female psyche, and unreasonable, unattainable expectations quickly set off a torrential avalanche of negative image and self-worth. We expect women to be “flawless” and then criticize them when they inevitably fall short of this very flawed expectation. However, what could be possible if we encouraged everyone—both men and women alike—to be honest, raw, and authentic instead of being curated, processed, and filtered? Think about the time, energy, and passion that could be channeled from something empty and meaningless and repurposed to create that which is truly great.
- Amplify other women: Serena Williams is quoted saying, “the success of every woman should be an inspiration to another.” In other words, when one of us shines, we all shine. Gone are the days where we encourage women to self-sabotage and view each other as competitors that need to be annihilated for personal success. This is a toxic model where no one wins. Rather, we must work together to build each other up and celebrate each other’s accomplishments. As highlighted in the following P&G commercial, “it takes someone strong to make someone strong.” The women in my life are some of the strongest people I know. Together they empower me to show up and excel each and every day: These women lift me up so I can do the same for others.
- Create communities of shared (and different) experiences: Not all women are the same. We don’t all look the same, we don’t all think the same, and we don’t all want the same things. And thank goodness for that. We would be fooling ourselves—and doing society a great disservice— if we grouped women together and tried to affix a singular common narrative to encapsulate the entire female perspective. Rather, the true power of women comes with creating intentional female communities that celebrate shared humanity by highlighting the diverse stories and experiences that make us different. When we acknowledge and embrace this, everyone wins.
March isn’t meant to function in isolation, nor is it intended to be recognized solely by women; rather, it is merely one-twelfth of a larger collection of stories and experiences that have impacted society in lasting, defining ways. Everyone has been influenced by a notable woman in life: Everyone. One day, perhaps female contributions won’t be confined to one month and will be recognized for what they truly are: The framework that makes everyday life possible.
To all the “violet (purple)” superheroes out there, and to all the individuals they’ve shaped: Happy Women’s History Month.
Let’s continue to build each other up, celebrate our worth, and make each other strong.
If we do this, we will truly change the world.
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