Happy International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate how women’s rights have progressed so far, from being oppressed to having some freedom to choose. Women now have equal right to vote, to own and manage properties and business regardless of their marital status. In Saudi Arabia, women have now been allowed to drive (just granted in 2018).

It’s been a huge progress though it hasn’t reached the ideal state. There are still hundreds of millions of girls (approximately 130 million) who have no access to education. And it hasn’t been that long ago when the Taliban shot Malala Yousafzai when she was only 15 (in 2012), as she actively encouraged girls to attend schools (she survived and is still active in the education of girls and women). 

Despite the progress, there are still many sexist jokes that women are more stupid than men. As a consequence, there’s been retaliation that highlights how women are superior to men, including a 2016 study that finds women cope far better than men under pressure, and a 2017 study that finds women make better surgeons than their male counterparts. 

I personally think it’s a good idea to appreciate gender differences, but people’s skills and ability shouldn’t be based on their gender. There are women who can’t cook, and men who cook very well. There are women who are excellent in carpentry and men who are great make-up artists. 

Back to International Women’s Day, I hope it’s a day to remember how far women’s rights have progressed and how women’s right can progress more to the ideal state without having to stereotype people based on their gender. 

In the meantime, this is what we should believe: