IDAHO — Today the world celebrates International Women's Day, and in Idaho, the Indigenous Idaho Alliance held a virtual event to honor and support women in our community.
“I hope that people feel inspired and that people are reminded to honor the women in their own lives, and if they are a woman to be reminded of their own power and greatness,” said Tai Simpson, Indigenous Idaho Alliance International Women's Day organizer.
"None of us got here on our own. None of us got here without the cheers of some other women saying 'I got your back. I see you',” ML Daniel, speaker at the event said.
The event was full of honoring and celebrating the women in our community and across the world.
"To celebrate and honor living into the future and what that means for young people coming in after us," Simpson said. "And really it is just a day to celebrate womanhood in whatever that looks like in any variety of ways."
The national theme was "Challenge Everything", but their theme today was "Living for the Future."
"It is about how many voices across the region and across our communities can we bring into this space to be creative and innovative and change the world," Simpson said. "So that’s how living into the future came to be."
The women speakers at the event shared stories, call to actions, and created a space to support and help one another.
Speaker LaMonica Richard offered a mantra.
“I know myself, I trust myself; I forgive myself and I love myself," Richard said. "These were the words and the mantra I told myself every day for two or three years.”
“Every woman that I know and every story that was shared today was a story of the resilience of the line and the lineage of the women whose shoulders you are standing on," Daniel said. "It's a story of the courage, of their creativity, and it’s a story of their passion and their love."
“I want young women, especially those that are participating that they can find and build their own purpose in doing any kind of work," Simpson said. "It doesn’t have to be social movement work it can be work as a healthcare professional or educator that can change the world in a meaningful way can happen wherever we are at any moment."
To watch the full event, click here.
