- Julie Barris | Crisis Counselor | Therapist-in-Training
- Mar 8
Women don’t need to be perfect to be powerful; their strength lies in embracing their imperfections and showing up authentically every day. The pressure for women to conform to unrealistic standards fades when we realize that women don’t need to be perfect to deserve respect, success, or love.
International Women's Day is a time for us to celebrate and reflect on the incredible achievements of women throughout history, as well as the challenges still faced by women all over the world. It’s not just a day of recognition; it’s an invitation to reimagine what the future could look like. This year, let’s not only honor the strength and resilience of women but also ask ourselves: what kind of world could we build if we allowed women to lead in ways that truly reflect their strength, uniqueness, and humanity?
The Strength of Imperfection
For many women, the pressure to “have it all” — the perfect career, the perfect family life, the perfect health — is overwhelming. Society tends to place unrealistic standards on women, pushing them to juggle everything perfectly and without flaw. But here’s an important truth: We don’t have to be perfect to be powerful.
In fact, it’s our imperfections that make us who we are. Each struggle, setback, and moment of vulnerability contributes to the resilience and wisdom that women embody. Strength is not about never failing; it’s about how we rise after a fall, how we learn, grow, and continue moving forward. We’re often told that in order to succeed, we need to meet certain standards or achieve certain milestones, but these expectations ignore the beauty of individuality. Women don’t need to fit into a perfect mold. Our true strength lies in embracing who we are, imperfections and all, and boldly walking in our unique power.
We Don’t Have to Be Men to Be Worthy
For generations, women have been encouraged to adopt masculine traits in order to succeed in the workplace, in leadership positions, or in any role where power and authority are traditionally associated with male traits: strength, logic, and stoicism. We've been told that to lead, we must be less emotional, less compassionate, less nurturing — that we need to behave more like men in order to be taken seriously. This narrative is not only limiting, but it also reinforces a harmful idea that being a woman means we are somehow lesser or less capable.
But what if we turned this idea upside down? What if we stopped trying to mimic men’s traits to fit into predefined boxes of power and success? We don’t have to be men to be powerful.
Women’s leadership is rooted in empathy, emotional intelligence, and collaboration — traits that are just as valuable, if not more so, than the stereotypically masculine traits of control, decisiveness, and competition. As we’ve seen in various studies, workplaces that value empathy, communication, and support are often more productive and harmonious. When women are empowered to lead from a place of empathy and inclusivity, they bring a holistic, human-centered approach to decision-making.
Imagine a world where more women occupied positions of power, where leadership wasn’t just about being tough or unemotional, but also about being compassionate, connected, and supportive. If more women were in charge, the power structures would be built on values that promote the collective good, where collaboration and emotional awareness were not seen as weaknesses but as tools for creating change and driving progress.
A World Where Sensitivity Is Strength
One of the most harmful myths in society is that showing emotion or vulnerability makes someone weak. Women, in particular, are often made to feel that they should suppress their emotions, whether it’s sadness, joy, frustration, or even excitement, because those emotions are perceived as "unprofessional" or "unworthy." This, of course, is rooted in deeply entrenched gender norms. But the reality is, emotional intelligence is one of the greatest strengths a person can possess.
The emotional sensitivity that women possess is not something to be ashamed of. It’s a gift that allows us to connect with others on a deeper level, to understand and respond to the needs of those around us. Women’s emotional awareness often leads to greater compassion, more collaborative solutions, and a more humane approach to leadership. Imagine how different the world could be if sensitivity were celebrated as a strength. If we stopped making women feel bad for being emotionally aware and, instead, recognized it as an essential part of good decision-making and leadership.
If women were able to express their emotions freely without judgment, we would likely see a shift in how we relate to each other — a shift toward understanding, empathy, and connection. We could live in a world where emotional expression was seen as a bridge to greater communication rather than a barrier. Instead of making fun of women for being "too emotional," we could applaud them for their courage to be open and vulnerable in ways that encourage deeper human connections.
Rewriting the Narrative of Womanhood
This International Women's Day, let's recognize that being a woman doesn’t mean being confined to any one mold or expectation. We can be strong without having to prove it by fitting into the rigid structures that have traditionally been reserved for men. Women have been showing strength, resilience, and power in every corner of the world for centuries — often in ways that defy societal expectations. From leading revolutions to raising families, from running businesses to creating movements for social change, women are powerful in ways that are uniquely their own.
However, to truly harness this collective power, we need to rewrite the narrative around what it means to be a woman. We need to recognize that strength doesn’t require perfection, that sensitivity is a superpower, and that women don’t have to adopt traditionally masculine traits to be worthy of success or recognition. The more women are allowed to show up as their authentic selves, the more they will change the world — not just in the workplace, but in every aspect of life.
A Thought to Reflect On
As we celebrate the amazing accomplishments of women everywhere, let’s think about this: What if the world were led by more women? Would it be a place where empathy, emotional intelligence, and sensitivity are seen as strengths rather than weaknesses? Would the world be more compassionate, connected, and inclusive? Could we, together, create a future where women are empowered to lead and express themselves fully, without fear of judgment or ridicule?
The answer lies in the choices we make today — to honor our strengths, embrace our imperfections, and challenge the outdated standards that limit us. On International Women's Day, let’s commit to lifting each other up and celebrating the unique, powerful force that each woman is.
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