Healing, Liberation, and Collective Care: Honouring Women on International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is more than a celebration—it’s a call to action. It is a day to acknowledge the strength, resilience, and struggles of women across the world. While we honour achievements, we must also recognise the inequities that persist, the emotional labor women continue to carry, and the work that remains in creating a truly liberated world.

Beyond Celebration: The Reality of Women’s Lives

In Australia and globally, women continue to navigate a world shaped by systemic inequality and patriarchal structures.

• Gender Pay Gap: Women still earn less than men in nearly every industry, with Australia’s national gender pay gap at 11.5% in 2024.

• Gender-Based Violence: In 2024 alone, 78 women in Australia lost their lives due to violence, with 1 in 4 women experiencing domestic abuse.

• Invisible Labor: Women disproportionately take on unpaid caregiving, emotional support, and household responsibilities, often at the expense of their own well-being.

Women’s Healing is Collective Healing

At Holistic Counselling to Liberate, I believe that healing is a radical act—not just for ourselves, but for the generations before and after us.

• When women reclaim rest, they challenge a system that glorifies burnout.

• When women support one another, they create a force stronger than oppression.

• When women feel safe in their bodies and emotions, they break cycles of trauma and silence.

True liberation means creating spaces where all women—not just those who are celebrated, but those who are struggling—are seen, supported, and uplifted.

How We Can Honour Women Today and Every Day

✔ Hold Space for Women’s Stories – Listen to the voices of women, especially those marginalised by race, class, disability, and gender identity.

✔ Support Women’s Safety and Well-being – Advocate for policies that protect and empower women in workplaces, homes, and communities.

✔ Reclaim Rest and Care – Encourage self-care not as an indulgence, but as a form of resistance against a system that demands constant giving.

✔ Invest in Community Healing – Uplift women-owned businesses, donate to support services, and offer help without judgment.

A Call to Action

International Women’s Day should not be a corporate box-ticking event or a day of empty slogans. It must be a commitment—to healing, justice, and liberation.

As we move forward, let’s ensure that no woman walks alone, that no struggle is dismissed, and that every act of care ripples outward into the world.

Today, we honour women. But more importantly, we stand beside them, fight for them, and build a future where true equity exists.