By Youma Kromer
Honoring Differences, Not Erasing Them
What if equality didn’t mean becoming the same, but honoring what makes us different?
For centuries, society has measured women against male standards—defining leadership, strength, and success through a narrow lens. Yet women have always led, built, and shaped our world—often quietly, invisibly, and without due recognition. Today, that invisibility must be challenged.
The Gaps That Remain
Yes, we’ve made progress. Women today hold spaces previously closed to them—female CEOs, scientists, activists, and politicians now shape our global community. But beneath this visible progress lie persistent inequalities.
Globally, women earn approximately 83 cents for every dollar men earn, reflecting a 17% pay gap.https://www.investopedia.com , https://www.equalpaytoday.org
Violence remains pervasive: Globally, nearly 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. World Health Organization, UN Women Data
The UN’s 193 member states recently committed to accelerate action on equality—but acknowledged that progress remains slow, uneven, and under threat. https://apnews.com
The Global Cost of Holding Women Back
Equality isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s an economic one. The World Bank estimates that eliminating discriminatory laws and barriers could boost global GDP by over 20%. —Reuters
This isn’t theoretical. In Rwanda, following the genocide, women took leadership roles in rebuilding the nation—prioritizing education, healthcare, and reconciliation. Rwanda now has one of the highest rates of female parliamentary representation in the world. This isn’t coincidence—it’s what happens when we allow women to lead as themselves.
Courage in Action
“My mother told me that courage is not about being strong in a conventional sense—it’s about speaking even when your voice trembles.” — Malala Yousafzai
Malala’s words remind us that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the choice to act despite it. In the fight for women’s rights, many battles are won by those whose voices shake — from Rwandan women rebuilding their nation after genocide to activists challenging laws in the U.S. Their strength lies not in being unafraid, but in refusing to be silent.
Embracing Differences as Strengths
Men and women are not the same — and that is not a flaw to fix, but a truth to honor. Our differences are not shortcomings; they are sources of strength. Equality is not about erasing those differences, but about valuing them fully. It’s recognizing the mother raising a child as a leader in her own right, just as much as the CEO guiding a company. It’s making sure a girl in Nigeria can step into a safe classroom and a woman in New York can make decisions about her own body without fear or limitation.
Because freedom is not something to be granted — it is something that belongs to us all. And we will only achieve it when we stop asking women to prove their worth, and start building a world that reflects it
Together, Unstoppable
Real change has never come from isolation — it has always come from women standing side by side. Believing in each other. Lifting as we climb. Leading not just for ourselves, but for those who cannot yet lead.
When we come together — across continents, cultures, and differences — we are unstoppable. Because the future of equality isn’t built by one woman’s voice shouting alone. It’s built by millions rising together, refusing to be silenced, and daring to lead.