I want to celebrate this International Day of The Woman by acknowledging what we have achieved and what we can still achieve as women. 

This International Day of The Woman, I am celebrating the strength, willpower, and resilience of women all around the world and all the women who came before us: all the advancements we have seen in gender equality in the workplace as well as all the progress we have seen in labour market participation, political participation, in STEM education, in health and in women’s rights across the globe. At the same time, I invite all women to continue to make bold moves and choices that will further empower themselves, their families, their children and their communities – and take more control and ownership over their financial futures.

We are strong, we are worthy and we are capable. We are more than capable of shaping the brighter, diverse, creative and rewarding future that we strive for.

Together. 

And together with all the men who are encouraging us, supporting us and teaming up with us along our way. Keep going strong! For ourselves, for all our families, for our daughters and for their daughters and for all the generations to come.

And we all know that sometimes it’s hard, and some days we feel like giving up, some days we feel it’s unfair, and some days we don’t want to always have to fight. But most days…well, most days it’s GREAT. It’s fun, it’s empowering, it’s encouraging and it’s joyful. Know that we are in this together and that we are making huge strides forwards. Because we dare.

We are the change-makers, we are the dreamers, we are the doers. We make equality advance. Every time a woman takes a bold step forward, we all rise.

In order to empower more women to reach their potential, we have to start young. We have to start with the girls. A Smart Way To Start helps girls prepare to enter the workforce on equal terms by helping them to know their worth, empowering them to talk about their pay, and guiding them to becoming savvy in managing their spending and savings.

As they become more and more independent and confident with their money decisions, they’ll also learn that every money decision in life is an expression of values: an opportunity to impact our world positively.

So let’s raise our glass to an equal future and to the rise of girls in every nation. They are our hope. They are our future: the next wave of women who will rock this world, and may the whole world dance to their music!

Happy Women’s Day!