Happy International Women’s Day!

Today during class I thought about how lucky I am to go to college everyday to learn and prepare for a better future.

This week, I got to use that voice to fight for other women that may not have those opportunities by campaigning with my club, Advocates for Women of the World, about human rights abuses through sex trafficking. Today particularly I think about the women and girls I left behind from my volunteer trip in India and wonder how they’re doing: are they out in the world now? Do they have jobs? Do they have families? I especially reflect on what it means for me to be a woman and how I can stand alongside other women around the world.

There are still problems to be solved here, however. Today I went to “A Day Without Women” rally at Goodale Park in Columbus, where women and men and children came together to keep up the fight at home for rights we care about. Some inspiring women got an opportunity to speak about their unique activism experiences (issues from women with disabilities and issues from female migrant workers, for example). I saw some clever signs and met some passionate people. Here are some of my favorites:

Thank you, mom and dad, for being equal partners in life and giving me something to aspire to be and encouraging me to stand up for what I believe in. And thank you to the strong women in my life who’ve made me the woman I am today, including my mom, my sister, my aunt, my grandmothers, and my friends.

Keep it nasty, ladies.