I stumbled across this quote by Meryl Streep:

I think the best role models for women are people who are fruitfully and confidently themselves, who bring light into the world.

It resonates so strongly for me – does it for you? For women to be equal I think we still need to acknowledge that any discussion about women being bold and empowered does not equal man hating. And I fully acknowledge that I have the privilege of feeling this way because I didn’t grow up under an oppressive regime; I was able to go to school and university; I was able to choose who I married; I was able to choose when I had kids; and I’m allowed to write this.

As I’ve grown as a person (in this privileged life) I have learned that most of us are all simply people with a basic desire to be good people. And we can all embody admirable feminine and masculine traits. I’m not talking about a love for shoes and a love for V8’s. I’m talking about something deeper – traits like compassion, intuition, the ability to see and understand all sides, patience, wisdom and warrior-like strength. These are positive feminine and masculine traits that we can all embody. To strive for empathy, self empowerment, compassion, and to step up to a challenge makes us whole as a person. (Yes, I’m stumbling into Jung’s theory here.)

I think in order for women to be equal in our society, we need to value all of these feminine and masculine parts. So, on International Women’s Day, I want to share some images of men and women I know who embody the best of both. I hope it helps illustrate my point: let’s all be the best version of ourselves, male and female and respect one another.

This is my husband, Diamond. He is softer and more compassionate than I am. He forgives more readily than I do. When up against people who are difficult, he always manages to find empathy for them. He is good at finding a middle ground with people. And he is good at digging holes for me in the garden because his arms are much stronger than mine!

This is my friend Alice. She may have a soft voice but she is extremely independent and the fiercest feminist I know. She is always pushing herself out of her comfort zone and is motivated by high principals.

These are my friends Dom and Briar. Dom is a deeply compassionate person, I admire him no end. He is excellent at his job working on State government policy. Humility comes first, with a dash of self deprecation. Briar has experienced unique challenges in her life yet she sits comfortably with both the good and the bad and everything in between. She holds it, steps up and moves forward with her chin up and that soft part of her firmly intact.

This is my artist friend, Emma. She is a single Mum to two high energy boys. She parents creatively and with humour, somehow being inventive with her boys even when exhausted. She steps up to challenges every day while pouring her soul into her delicate, beautiful artwork.