Happy International Women's Day! Growing up in Europe, Women's Day was a big deal. I remember that we used to give our mom and grandmothers carnation flowers and it was talked about in reverence. But I honestly didn't know what it actually meant back then.

Working with women, serving a special population of our community has always felt like a big honor to me. It was a way that I got to show people like my Mama, who work hard, who may be in hard circumstances, and who give it their all 100% of the time, that they matter, that they are seen, and that they are loved. As an adult, I have seen, heard, and experienced things on my own and witnessing the interactions of others about how women are treated. We are often considered “less-than,” inferior, unaware, incapable, “not enough,” and it needs to STOP now. Because trust me, we are NOT any of those things. We may be suppressed because they know we’ll be unstoppable if we lived in our power all the time. That is why I look at this day much differently.

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. We talk about women being unsung heroes, and trust me when I tell you that they are. I witness that daily. And I am also so grateful to witness women coming into their own power. I see it in my practice, I see it in the classroom, I see it in the birth room, I see it everywhere. And rightfully so. I witness women use their voice, raise their voice to be heard, to be listened, to stand their ground, to become their voice. They are worth it! We are worth it!

Today and every day, I stand with women, in spaces that they take up, with voices that rise up, and am in awe. Just like I have always been when seeing my Mama, my grandmothers, my Aunt, my Sister, and my friends. They matter. WE MATTER! And we stand united. We have to stand united to support our women, our people, and show up in numbers.

“Empowered women empower women!”

Who are the women you look up to?! I’d love to hear your stories!

Be healthy & happy,

Dr. Tijana

#IWD2019 #BalanceforBetter