March 8 has always been a powerful day "International Women’s Day", a moment to reflect on the rights, struggles, and triumphs of women around the world. But for me, this date carries an even deeper significance. Eighteen years ago, on this very day, I became a mother. My eldest daughter was born, and with her arrival, my life changed forever.
Becoming a mother is something no words can fully capture. It’s endless love, unconditional, overwhelming, and all-consuming. It’s learning to let go while holding on, guiding without controlling, and loving without limits. It’s the most humbling, beautiful, and challenging role I have ever taken on.
And yet, as I celebrate this milestone in my daughter’s life, I can’t help but think of the millions of women around the world for whom rights, choices, and opportunities are still not guaranteed. Women who fight for education, for freedom, for safety. Women who are told what they can and cannot do, who are denied the very choices that shape their futures.
As I look at my daughter stepping into adulthood, I hope she will always know her worth, her strength, and her voice. I hope she will never take for granted the rights she has, and that she will use them, and that not just for herself, but for others who don’t yet have the same freedoms. Because women’s rights are not just a cause; they are a responsibility, passed from one generation to the next.
So today, I celebrate her, I celebrate motherhood, and I celebrate every woman who dares to stand up, speak out, and shape the world for those who come after them. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past 18 years, it’s this: raising a daughter is not just about love, it’s about empowerment.
Happy birthday to my Noa. And happy International Women’s Day to all.
