Happy International Women’s Day

I am a universalist by nature. I believe that in the grand scheme of things equality exists. And nothing in this world can diminish the universal path of fairness coming from a pure heart. ~ Maria Lehtman

It is official! The Digital Teacup is now 201 posts old! This post is dedicated to the International Women’s Day, and most of all, to all the equality champions out there. Equality creates unity across all borders of age, culture, background, health condition, gender, etc. There are numerous silos out there that need dismantling and bridges that need building.

Digital Transformation is the perfect storm – although it calls for women to enter STEM-oriented fields, it also opens doors for diversity and a wide range of creativity. People from different life circumstances can benefit from the digital era and mobile opportunities. Granted, the large companies do not always necessarily make it easy, but what we see around the world is more and more small entrepreneurs lifting their heads and innovating for the good of their communities. That does not happen on its own. It takes social effort to first innovate and break the ground for more of the world to follow. I admire the women who grab the opportunities in the societies otherwise limited for women even to enter outdoors, let alone support themselves. The new era is the age of the heart, if we can find clarity of mind.

Unlike some of my peers, I do not believe that simply being an example makes the challenges vanish. Being a hero or a heroine is the beginning. Making a conscious effort to change the setting makes the difference. I believe in the goodness of people. I believe the willingness to be fair lies somewhere in the heart of every being, even when it does not manifest itself. Only creating opportunities for fairness allows equality to come to life. I wish we did not need to create quotas. The word quota alone brings a negative tone in peoples’ minds. However, when we clearly define what we believe in, the positive spiral may, in the end, be able to sustain itself.

What we need to keep in mind is that even in the name of equality, we are only human. And as humans, we perceive the world from our perspectives. When two people share the same agenda, it does not mean they share the same view or have the same perception. We still need to set boundaries for equality to be allowed to exist. We have a complex world and a multi-layered ecosystem. One model does not fit every culture or business culture for that matter. In some, without a quota, not one voice contradicting the general trend would be heard.

Such is humanity. I learned that the hard way when someone I thought a friend amongst my ex-coworkers told me years later “Oh well, I guess it is not your fault you did not win more (we did win, but not all cases) because you are a woman.” I have rarely been so deeply wounded. I trusted fewer people from that day onward, but the ones I did, have shown in every way possible that they supported talents. That’s it. Talents, no matter if the skillful individual was a woman or a man. They aspire to ensure both genders are equally treated. And the ones I have trusted are successful women and men themselves, but they too have endured much, and continue to fight for their success. Nothing comes without trial and error, without a sacrifice.

I want to thank my dear colleagues, peers, sponsors, business networking champions, and, most of all, friends and family, who never let me down. Who never turn their coats. Who are always there to encourage, share inspiration, to light a path forward. I am grateful to have left behind a place where a gender-biased-phrase could be said out loud without a consequence. We are the consciousness we manifest.

“A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Eleanor Roosevelt

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