International Women's Day 2016

Let's take the opportunity today and celebrate the hard-working, inspiring, strong and beautiful ladies in our lives, all over the world.

Since I was raised in a Russian-German household, International Women's Day had a strong significance. I first became aware of this when I got my first bouquet of flowers from my dad on 8 March when I was 13 years old. As I grew older and reflected more on this topic, I learned to appreciate the fact that this day was special in my family, as this wasn't the case in my friends'. 

We shouldn't take for granted what women are capable of doing these days and how far we've come. Generations before us have worked hard for the rights we have today and paved the way for strong female voices like Angela Merkel and Hillary Clinton, who are the top entries of Forbes' The World's 100 Most Powerful Women list. Let's hope we're lucky and will be able to witness the first female American president soon! 

But not only politics brings forth powerful women, but also science and economics. Leading Forbes' America's Richest Self-Made Women list, Elizabeth Holmes is the world's youngest self-made billionaire. At the age of 19 Elizabeth Holmes founded her company Theranos, after developing a cheaper method for blood diagnostic tests which also only needs a few drops of blood from a finger prick. 

My personal heroine is much less rich and powerful, but to me she is an inspiration and an important woman in today's media: Lena Dunham. She is my heroine because she doesn't mince matters and speaks her mind. Watching GIRLS, I felt affirmed and comforted  to see the real struggle of things women have to deal with in their lives. Was I a bit grossed out about the sofa sex-scene in season 1 where Adam casually tries anal sex on Hannah without a warning? Hell yes. But it also felt absolutely great, like having one of those reassuring conversations about weird sex or periods with someone for the first time, where you feel like you found an ally and you're not alone in the world. [Journalist Emily Nussbaum said it quite beautifully in a NY Magazine article about GIRLS: It's about four friends "adrift in a modern New York of unpaid internships and bad sex on dirty sofas."] I love Lena Dunham for being my ally in all the awkward situations I find myself in. I love her for being an inspiring artist, even though not everyone agrees with her work. I love her for working towards a more equal world. 

On this note, celebrate your personal heroines and don't forget yourself.