“She has been through hell. So believe me when I say, fear her when she looks into a fire and smiles.” – Unknown

There is something to be said about female courage.

The feminine state historically has been seen as soft, sweet, even weak, whilst characteristics like courage, strength and leadership have been seen to belong more predominately with our male counterparts.

But there is no denying there is a movement gathering momentum where female leadership, strength and courage, in all its complexities and beauty, is rising up out of the chains of oppression. It is this strength and courage I see in “her” eyes as she stares at the fire.

The unique dynamics of female leadership is this complex mixture of beauty and strength, compassion and courage, love and leading. What women bring to leadership are all the things that make us uniquely female- beauty, sweetness, softness, intuition, integrity, wisdom, life-giving and a deep sense of nurture. We are cultivators of life.

But we have seen not just an oppression from the world of female empowerment, we have seen it within ourselves. We compare ourselves with women around us. We pull down each other down in pursuit of raising ourselves up. We gossip and bicker over things that do not matter. We have sabotaged ourselves without truly understanding the consequences.

International Women’s Day is not just about raising awareness to the men in the world of female issues, but it is also about putting a call out to all women to be on each other’s cheer squad. All boats rise on the tide and together we are better and stronger.

We are at our best when we are lifting each other up.

We are at our best when we are moving together, like a pride of lionesses.

We are at our best when our nurture is equally yoked with men’s strength, creating a dynamic that is unstoppable.

We are at our best when we are cheering each other on.

We are at our best when we nurture each other.

This International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the Empowerment of Women through our unique ability to nurture and cultivate life.

As I look around me, I am surrounded by wonderfully empowering and nurturing women. Some lift me up, some simply encourage me, some empower me, some teach me, some inspire me, some financially support me, some simply give me a hug and the strength to try again tomorrow. This is what we aim to do as Thread Harvest, to empower women in all that they uniquely are.

The women in our business have been through that fire. We have watched on as they have squared their shoulders back and put one foot in front of the order, despite the inferno raging around them. One aching step after another has seen them emerge from the flames with a greater sense of integrity, compassion, strength and nurture. Knowing what it is like in the inferno has bred within them the ability to cheer others on as they take their journey through the fire.

So yes, fear her when she smiles at the fire because in that smile is the knowingness that though it may hurt and require everything she has got within her, she will emerge more female and more a force to be reckoned with than when she entered.

“She has been through hell. So believe me when I say, fear her when she looks into a fire and smiles.” – Unknown

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Lift a woman out of poverty this International Women’s Day by purchasing from our Empowering Women Collection. Each piece ensures a female worker is provided employment and hope for the future.