Beyond the Ink: Why International Women’s Day Needs a New Dimension

In my years as a United Nations Senior Staff, I sat in rooms where history was written in ink. I witnessed the signing of global, regional, and national agreements—moments of immense gravity meant to place gender equity at the forefront of policy, financing, and implementation.

These ceremonies are vital; they set the North Star and provide the framework for the world we want to build. But as we commemorate another International Women’s Day, I find myself reflecting on a persistent, uncomfortable truth: the ink on these treaties is drying faster than the pace of real-world change.

We have made incredible strides, and I refuse to let those achievements go uncelebrated. The results and impacts are there, but the "miles to travel" remain daunting. It leads me to wonder what we are doing wrong, or perhaps, what we have not yet done. While we have spent decades rightfully empowering the girl child and dismantling systemic barriers for women, I’ve come to realize that we have often left a critical part of the equation behind. If we want a "Net Positive" future—one where equality is the default rather than a hard-fought exception, we must recognize that we cannot expect women to dismantle a system they didn't build alone.

This realization has taken on a profound personal weight for me. Today, I choose to reflect not just as a policy expert or a global citizen, but as a mother. I am currently carrying the enormous responsibility and privilege of raising an almost 9-year-old boy. This journey has taught me that investing in men and boys is not a distraction from the systemic inequalities affecting women and girls; rather, it is the bridge to a sustainable solution. We have spent years preparing our daughters to navigate and challenge a world that isn't ready for them; it is time we focus with equal intensity on equipping our sons to stand beside them as active architects of a new, more equitable reality.

Bringing them along means equipping my son, and his entire generation, to be more aware, sensitive, and supportive. It means redefining strength so that they see gender justice not as a "women’s issue," but as a human imperative that shapes their own lives and futures. We must celebrate their bravery and courage when they refuse to stand on the sidelines. We need them to understand that their own humanity is inextricably linked to the dignity and equity of the women beside them.

The treaties I helped sign were meant to shape the future my son will inherit, but my influence as a mother and a professional allows me to shape the person who will inhabit that future. To my fellow leaders, global citizens, and parents let’s keep pushing the policy, but let’s also start the work at the dinner table. Let’s make this the year we decide that "not enough" is no longer an option, and that we won't stop until the world we’ve written about on paper finally comes to life in the hearts of our children.