Don't give up and feel the fire of our collective heart

The past few days for me have been defined by the approaching deadline for my undergraduate dissertation. I kept seeing the posts of participants in my email account, and started regretting more and more, that I had not found the time to write the first week's assignment on time, started regretting that already, I had given up.

Despite the stress I am experiencing as result of my dissertation deadline, I kept reading posts and got more and more curious - and what hat does to me, is just extraordinary! The more I read, the more I feel humbled and fascinated, touched by the many stories women share, which seem to speak straight from my heart. What women write out of their hearts seems to directly connect with mine, and it feels almost like one collective heart! The more I read the clearer it became to me: This is not about having missed a deadline, or about not having time because of other important things. Connecting with each other is ESSENTIAL to us as women, as humanity.

I am on facebook and watch youtube and other online activities - but never would I have imagined what kind of emotion and power can emerge from this online platform. The love, kindness and sense of connectedness it makes me feel. I could sense and see, how women are empowered in front of my eyes through writing things down and making them visible for others - and how that sparked a sense of empowerment within me: If they can, then I can do it! Regardless of deadlines and other things - because this is about much more!

Being reminded of women's under- representation in the first reading reminded me about a fire of excitement to get going, outrage and deep inner purpose. It is interesting, how that outrage, which I feel when I see AGAIN, how the girls participate less in class then the guys. When I see AGAIN, how women are less confident about their skills and end up being paid much less than they deserve. When I see AGAIN, how political decisions are made by a number of men in suits, which will affect women’s well- being more than anyone else’s. It is interesting, how this feeling of outrage sometimes almost makes me feel inappropriate, because these issues are acknowledged almost never.

Reading through this forum changed that. It helped me to gain confidence and confirmed, that what I see IS happening. That there ARE injustices and inequality between men and women, where leaders praise themselves for equality in a way, which leaves little room for doubt. I want to express my deepest gratitude to this network, for helping me to re- discover that fire by showing theirs. I want to encourage anyone who is still not sure whether they want to commit to this forum, to join in and to walk the walk of women's empowerment together in love, understanding, and unity in diversity!