International Women Kicking Butt

I love International Women's Day, because it makes me think of all the international women who inspired me this year. And inspiration opens doors. Here are a few women - none perfect - but all interesting and personally motivating.

Benazir Bhutto: I saw the late Benazir Bhutto in an in-depth interview on CBC TV by Carol Off last March when she visited Canada. She came across as determined, politically savvy, and intelligent. Then I watched along with the world as she risked her life for her beliefs in her country's future.

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf: The current president of Liberia. She is Africa's first elected female head of state. I also saw her interviewed, this time by Peter Mansbridge, when she visited Canada. She also spoke of her dedication to the well-being of her country and her mission to help it recover economically.

And who can not think of Hilary Clinton running for the democratic candicacy in the U.S., where popular wisdom has been that a woman is unelectable.

Enough of women in politics. Let me just hint at the inspirational treasure trove of women in many other walks of life, many of whom are leaders because of their determined struggles with various obstacles.

In 2006 I left a career in mental health care services that brought me in contact with many strong women and men. This year I continued to carry the impact they had on me. For example (and this is a nicely tailored story to protect privacy and confidentiality), K. was a young immigrant woman who lives on her own without any family close by. She came as the wife of a Canadian and subsequently was separated and divorced. She had serious health challenges. She wound up homeless several years ago, during an episode of severe illness. Then she battled the illness, got better, got a home, did volunteer work, took job training, got a job, bought a Trans AM, and on she went. But it was not a linear easy path. She worked hard and persevered through set backs. She had to work with a strained health care system. K. is an inspiration of optimism, collaboration, and pure guts.

Here is one more example: Doris Ellison is featured in the New York Times about her battle with drug addiction. She has not accomplished anything that would garner acclaim. On the contrary she probably caused a lot of grief to those close to her in the past. But there she is kicking butt to overcome the problem that plagues her and to do better. Good for her! If you watch the video, listen to her conviction shine through that she is going to make it.