Why International Women’s Day Matter

The 8th of March has always been a very special day for me. Since I was a young girl, I watched women in my family celebrate International Women’s day and one another while taking time to reflect and acknowledge the power and responsibility of being a woman. It was always a memorable day filled with kindness, care and appreciation. Sense of belonging played a vital role as we, younger girls, were learning to express and nurture the feminine energy within us and around us. Today, I see this day from a perspective of a grown woman, and I feel like the celebration of women-hood has to be carried on outside the families and into communities.

I am continuing to create conversations amongst all of the women because something magical happens when you get to meet like-minded females who fuel your mind and heart with love, compassion and courage to become your best version and unleash the power within you. For this reason, this year, we held Global Juno’s 4th annual event for International Women’s Day – Hustlers in Heels, where we invited the group of fierce, independent and inspiring females with whom we got a chance to share our lessons through storytelling and dance. It was a special day, not only because we came to celebrate one another, but also because we had an opportunity to meet up after a very long time of social distancing, which made every conversation, every interaction more meaningful.

We kicked off the event with our tradition like “Circle of Storytelling”, where we introduced ourselves and shared our stories. It is these stories that build the foundation of who we are – individually and collectively. When you wrap your words in vulnerability and share it with others, you show the strength and confidence elevating from your being. The doubts and fears you have disappears like darkness in the morning and you realise that you are not alone. All of us are going through challenges, and we are all climbing the mountain like Sisyphus, who teaches through his story in Albert Camus book “The Myth of Sisyphus” to “never give in to circumstantial disappointments or try to escape from the failures, rather accept failures the same way we accept our achievements”.

When we associate ourselves with a certain community, we also relate to the stories that we have heard, which brings us closer together and gives us the power to own it and have the agency over it. By owning our stories we dare to speak our desires into existence and create a domino-like effect, creating a never-ending stream of empowered women. Well, you are probably curious to hear some of the stories here, but what’s discussed during that time stays with us, and I would never dare to break that trust.

After the “Circle of Storytelling,” it was a time for us to get up and dance. For me, dance serves as a catalyst for positive changes, allowing us to get to know ourselves better and release any negative energy or belief that may be dormant. Motion creates emotion, and by changing the way we move our body, we can change the way we think and feel about ourselves. We also look at the women archetypes, self-development practises and incorporate them alongside movement. Learning to move our body in new ways creates new neural pathways in the brain, and with every repetition, pathways get stronger allowing us to make better decisions for our mental and physical wellbeing.

One of my favourite subjects to talk about during dance workshops is feminine archetypes. Tuning into our feminine archetypes allows us to celebrate our womanhood within and out. It enables us to recognise and celebrate the subtle shifts in femininity that can be accessed through movement and concurrently help us to unravel many layers. The main archetypes we look at are Maiden, Mother, Warrior, Wild Woman, and Wise Woman. Recognising them within makes it easier to navigate the ocean of emotion with compassion and grace to yourself and others.

We looked at Warrior and Wild Women archetypes and utilised cardio dance alongside commercial dance in heels during our time together. The Warrior Woman archetype represents independence and self-containment, physicality and strength; thus, we used intense dance movements resembling military boot camp. Do not get me wrong, it was tough. Still, the only way to awaken the warrior within us is to tap into the struggle and realise that we come out on the other side more robust and more confident in our abilities by pushing through the challenges. If we convince our mind, our body will follow. This is the archetype you have to bring up when you are unsure, struggling or going through challenging times because a warrior in you is highly capable of making her way in the world. She is focused, ambitious, assertive, goal-oriented and self-sufficient. She claims her space in the world with confidence and with an air of sovereignty, trusting herself completely. She can take care of herself physically, spiritually and emotionally. And believe me, you already have those qualities within you.

On the other hand, The Wild Woman/Lover is the untamed one, the awakening soul who will not rest and to awaken this side of femininity we utilised sensual dance in heels. The lover appreciates beauty in all its forms, seeing and feeling beauty in herself, others and the world around her. She exudes sensuality in her mood, looks, walks, creativity and interactions. She senses, intuits and feels the spectrum of feels without censoring herself. You probably try to think which one of these two examples are you, but let me tell you the secret. You have all of these inside you, yet you need to know when to tap into them so you could live your most authentic life and take inspired actions daily.

Finally wrapped up all of our experiences with indulging in the delicious food by boss lady Francis @Bronzelayerz, specialising in Caribbean cuisine and Buffet style dishes. We also enjoyed the extraordinary Hip Vodka @hipvodka: “HIP Vodka” Black and “HIP Vodka” Pink that was sponsored by a boss babe and business woman Samantha. Well, who doesn’t like a delicious drink after a great dinner? Simultaneously, DJ Elle @ellemacuk set the entire atmosphere with great music. And that’s not the end. All females who joined, sponsored or helped us make this day magical are entrepreneurs and business owners. The event would not have been possible without all the talented females who burst through the Hackney Bridge doors and made this day memorable. Special mentions go to Urban MBA @urbanmba_, Hackney Bridge @hackney_bridge, who supported us all the way through. Sandra @crazyvintageweddings for fantastic venue set up, photographer and fellow dancer/teacher Jodie @still_richness, designer Latoyah @Latoyahlondon, Sam Francis @findabalance who works in welfare sector, stylist and creative director Ashley Stunna @ashleighstunna, fempreneur Jenny @jenjentheglowcoach, Barbara Silva @barbarasillvas2, graphic designer Chyna @chynastouch, photographer Jess @jess_govinden, and business owners Victoria @sunmosnacks, Nicole @toxicfreeliving_x, Zara @zaragalore, and Hadiza @lavishlygifted. And last but not least is a photographer and videographer Julien @jdarts, Courrier and businessman Dom @prontodespatch, who are only few men to be involved in Hustlers in Heels event.

It is powerful to see an idea, a concept coming together through the collective effort. Unity in diversity, as they call it. We celebrate ourselves and embrace who we are without being afraid to express our heart desires to ourselves and others. Not being afraid to be authentically yourself was my mother’s message while I was growing up. It also made me realise that shining the light on your darkest struggles can be the best form of learning, healing and manifesting. Being courageous and taking down all the protective walls around you, being open and vulnerable, inviting others into your world is not always an easy job but can be very soothing, allowing us to tap into the cosmos of possibilities. Storytelling and revealing the truth of your soul, your honest, limitless nature and lighting the way to freedom from society’s constraints can be achieved easier when surrounded by other women, other well-wishing sisters. And by being inspired by my mom’s advice, I am sharing her insights with other women and girls around me in hopes that this message will continue to echo not only on the 8th of March but every waking moment of our lives.