The year 2020 is going to be a great year of celebrations for us women. It’s the year that we celebrate 100 years of women having the right to VOTE. But with that right came lots of choices and options, they came slowly but they came. We now have the right to be business owners, have careers, able to have a degree and much more. We, women, have come a long way but I won’t deny that we still have battles to fight when it comes to defending certain rights but at least now we are allowed at the table, and I’m not talking about the kitchen table either.
As a woman myself, I do not take for granted the battles that other women fought for me to be where I am today. Today how do I respect & honor the right that was given to me? I will tell you how I do it. I speak up when I have the opportunity and if the opportunity doesn’t arise I make the opportunity. I don’t allow anyone to treat me different just because I’m a female. And so that my possible future granddaughters don’t suffer I have also taught my daughter to be the same way. I remember when she was a little girl and we were at a party and she was offered a pink toy versus a blue toy. I recall her asking me “Mommy, how come I was offered the pink toy, don’t I have a choice? I want the blue one!” And I knew just there and then that I was raising my little girl to know that she is equal and has every right to have a choice.
We must continue to honor this right. This doesn’t mean that we are trouble makers or that we are negative Nancy’s because we ask questions or desire to be where men are. This means we will no longer keep our mouths shut. This means, I can bake a mean apple pie but I also can lead troops in the army or war, I can be in legislatures, a judge, in executive boards, I can be the president of the United States, if I wanted to. Many women today are the decision-makers in their homes, or the main breadwinners as well; however, if we want to stay home and raise our kids we may also have that choice because at the end of the day we can decide for ourselves and we will not tolerate someone else making our rightfully hard-earned decisions for us.
Women, appreciate and take advantage of what other women have fought for us to have. Essentially it’s really the right to have a voice at the table, use that voice in every table that you can.
Rosa Julia Parra
CEO Palo Magazine
