The Wonder of Women by Lori Hayes

The Wonder of Women by Lori Hayes 

Image by B0red from Pixabay

“Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, “She doesn’t have what it takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes.”

– Clare Boothe Luce

“A strong woman understands that the gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts.”

– Nancy Rathburn

I started today with those two quotes. Women, WE are amazing!! We understand we don’t walk our paths alone. We have sisters, husbands, wives, brothers, friends, families and Allies.  The same can be said for men.  As Reba McEntire said  “being a strong woman is very important to me. But doing it all on my own is not.”

While women make up 48.9% of the entire world population, here are a few thoughts to remind us of the power of women and where are potentials for using ALL our gifts:

• Women perform two-thirds of the world’s work, especially in agriculture, for 10 percent of the income and only own 1 percent of the assets
• Women are only 8.8% of CEOs in American companies despite being 50% of the workforce
• Women make up 70 percent of the world’s poor 
• Households with children headed by a single woman make up the highest category of people experiencing food insecurity.
• In the United States, women make 80 percent of consumer goods purchasing decisions

We have power, we have options and we’ve come a long way from when I was a child, but never forget we still have soooo much room for growth and so many opportunities.  As John Kerry said as Secretary of State at the 2015 Goldman Sachs Luncheon in Honor for DOS Women Entrepreneurship program: 

No country can get ahead if it leaves half its people behind.  No team can win.  And no economy can thrive if women are denied a seat at the table.  That is also a fact.  And I want to be clear:  We’re not talking about a largesse that somehow just gives something to women and girls.  We’re talking about getting out of the way, breaking down the barriers so that women and girls can make full use of their energy, their talent, and their brains to do what they want to do and can do.

Why do any of us need to pick between home or career, family or single life or feminine or masculine. As Nancy Rathburn says- we can value and use all our gifts. 

I want to finish with a Susan B Anthony quote: “The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race.”