This week we celebrate International Woman’s Day (8 March) which is a global celebration of the social, economic and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. This year’s theme is ‘Better the balance, better the world’, with organisers stating that achieving this balance is not a women’s issue, but a business issue.

There is a recognition that a gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced Government, in fact a gender-balance in all aspects of life, are essential for economies and communities to thrive.

There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women

Madeleine Albright said when supporting Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign that “there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women”. Powerful words, but they did little to stop 53% of white women in the US voting for Donald Trump over Hillary in the November 2016 election.

She did get over 54% of the total female vote, but this statistic has been used to support the argument that women do not support other women. Do we?

There is a term used to describe women in business that do not help others – ‘ladder pullers’ – and it’s a sad fact that we have a term at all. There can also sometimes be a defensiveness in females that have succeeded, they did it themselves and others should be able to do the same. I personally think that these women were supported, maybe it wasn’t by other women (the lack of them being the issue), but they were supported by someone that believed in them.

We celebrate the achievements of women and men every week in the pages of Irish Country Living. This week we have a really fantastic array of women doing amazing things from Eileen the 80-year-old social media style queen, to a farmer’s daughter who aims to be the first Irish person, not just Irish woman, to sail around the world solo.

Along with breastfeeding, this topic can leave mothers feeling criticised and alone and although being on the receiving end of endless advice, they feel quite unsupported

Also in the paper this week, Ciara Leahy talks to Allison O’Leary, a hypnobirthing practitioner about what can be one of the most divisive and judgemental of topics – childbirth and the many different ways that children arrive into this world. Along with breastfeeding, this topic can leave mothers feeling criticised and alone and although being on the receiving end of endless advice, they feel quite unsupported. I personally signed up to the mantra of being prepared but open-minded.

I completed a course in hypnobirthing in advance of the arrival of our first daughter. Relaxation would not be one of my strong points but I found the classes great, they were instructive and ideal preparation. Much like what Allison says – we can’t control everything that will happen in childbirth and anything that helps you to stay calm gets the thumbs up in my book.

In terms of supporting women and celebrating their achievements, I think that supporting women’s right to choose is a fundamental point.

We all make decisions, whether that is in relation to our careers, our lifestyles, our ambitions or our children. Celebrating and supporting these choices is how we really celebrate each other. Everyday can be an international women’s day if we do this.

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