What International Women's Day Means To Me? 

My earliest memories of international women’s day were when I was in primary school. We were asked to do some research on a famous woman in history, I picked Mary Seacole. I remember being in awe of her pioneering ability to do what she thought was right. She was rejected by the British government as a hospital nurse, so she built her own hospital on the battlefield. This is where she would treat the soldiers by herself, as well as treating them on the battlefield. She was such an incredible woman yet had no recognition until after she died. Growing up I always tried to mirror the same drive she had, her refusal to accept ‘no’ for an answer. This is what international women's day means to me, learning about incredible women’s experiences and accomplishments and letting them inspire the next generation. I feel like as a society we need to celebrate the achievements of women without any bias. I was so lucky to grow up surrounded by so many different inspirational women that taught me so many different lessons and qualities. I feel like it is our duty as women to pass on these lessons to each other to make us all better people. 

- Written by Alexa Skillet-Moore. BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering (FT) Yr 1.
 

My mom once told me, "No matter what the situation is or what other people say, never stop growing or giving up on your dream." I grew up surrounded by women who inspired me every day in every sphere of my life. She taught me how to stand up and have the courage to talk about my rights, be financially independent, be an unstoppable, kind, resilient and hardworking woman. I believe Women have significantly contributed socially, economically, and politically to our society. Every day should be women's day. To me International Women's day is to never stop practising gender equality, standing up for basic rights, increasing awareness, staying fearless and being heard. 

- Written by Fatema Toz Zohora Rabbi (Women’s Officer). BA (Hons) Business Management with Marketing (FT) Yr 4.
 

I like to think of it as a day far beyond celebration, it is a date we commemorate and recognize the achievements of women through the years around the world. For more than a century women have been fighting for their freedom and rights. It wasn't easy being a woman back then, in the past or even now in some parts of the world, where the government's laws do not respect women's free right of choice or rights at all. Today is a call for everyone to respect women's rights and gender equality in their own social group, let’s understand that the jokes that make someone feel humiliated or harassed are not funny, it’s time to learn about the feminist movement and their goals nowadays. Today, let’s feel more empowered and united as women. It is time to increase social participation in society and let every single woman choose their path in life. Since I was a little girl, I developed an interest in science and technology. Growing up It was difficult to decide to study a career in STEM because most of the students were male and it was such a hostile and scary environment for me at first. It is our responsibility to create examples and figures of success for future generations, so little girls are not afraid to follow their big dreams. 

- Written by Luciana Livia. BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering (FT) Yr 1.
 

In my opinion, International Women’s Day means to me where the day is mainly focused on women only. The day is celebrated across the world from different backgrounds and that is why it is called ‘International’. To be more specific, this day can be used to support and encourage many women's struggles and their achievements. Also, it gives them power and hope to become a strong woman in life. To achieve what they need, they must believe in themselves. Without believing in themselves, they will not succeed in life. That is why we need to encourage them and give them hope. As a Sri Lankan British woman, I have experienced many struggles in my life. As a woman, everyone used to judge me for how I look, the way I am and the way I talk. I have always been feeling insecure throughout my life and never had confidence. That is why I did not have many friends. Now that I am in university, I have begun to meet new people and new faces. I have made a lot of friends who are women and even in my course. Everyone is polite and helpful, and I am very pleased to meet them and spend time with them. As days go by, communicating with them I have been feeling great and better every day. It made my day ten times better than what I experienced in my previous life“. As a strong independent woman, I would encourage and support each and every individual to help them to succeed in life and in their future. 

“Be a role model of yourself & set an example “  “Be a strong and independent woman” 

- Written by Printha Sundaramoorthy. BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering (FT) Yr 1