Every year wonder women around the world gather together and celebrate the amazing progress of women all around the world. This time, International Women’s Day lands on Thursday, March 8^th. This year, however, is an especially inspiring Women’s Day given the current sexist climate that has been uncovered by the tireless effort of women throughout 2017 and 2018.

This year, we have seen women from all ethnicities and different walks of life rise and up fight against the injustice, ranging from sexual harassment to the wage and job gap.

This year, the theme for International Women’s Day will be #PressforProgress which is celebrating the hard work by women in ending the gender parity around the world. The end of 2017 and the beginning of 2017 have been an especially difficult time for women in America especially considering the fact that the 2016 presidential election was supposed to bring America its first female president in 200 years (and we all know how that turned out).

While that election was a devastating blow to feminists all around the world, there has been a little bit of a good outcome.

Since the rise of Trump and all of the complicated issues that surround his presidency, women and especially women of color have been especially resilient in banding together and addressing and fighting against the issues that affect us. Women have been on the defensive for so long and I think now we are really starting to take up the offense. More and more women are sharing their stories and helping other women also share theirs while men are being called out for their inherent sexism and treatment of women.

For example, the #MeToo movement started by a black woman named Tarara Burke has taken off and created a powerful movement that empowers victims of sexual assault. All year long has been such a great time for women’s protest throughout the world with so many women and even men joining together to demanding for society to take responsibility for the continued oppression of women, especially women of color.

While the fight is rough and tiring, I feel that 2017 and 2018 have also been exhilarating. This feeling of unbridled and fiery passion for women’s right has been one of the many bright spots under Trump.

Now, fueled by this passion of the movement, women are running for office in record numbers and marching and organizing not only for women’s right but also the rights of immigrants, political right and much more. Women are now speaking up without fear and maybe that’s because under Trump we really don’t have that much more to lose.

But I’m excited. So for this International Women’s Day band together with your friends, mothers, and even neighbors to keep the strength of the movement going forward so we can one day achieve equality.