It’s International Women’s Day tomorrow, and while I have local events to attend to celebrate the day, I took a moment to think about what the day really means to me.

The theme this year is “Be Bold For Change.”

How do I interpret the theme, what will I do differently this year?

To me, Being Bold For Change means standing up for what I believe in. So here is what I believe…

I could ‘do’ something; Pay it forward to someone. Because opportunities don’t always present themselves, I choose to be a Kiva Supporter and this week I made 2 new loans to women who need a hand within their business. Because I believe Kiva is a great way to support those living in more challenging circumstances that I, I promoted Kiva within my network. If another person becomes a Kiva supporter that means I’ve made a small change to others also. Click here if you would like to know more about Kiva.

I could draw awareness to causes that I believe in. When I thought about this, I thought immediately of Rosie Batty, her story and her fight against domestic violence. I listened to Rosie speak last year for International Womens Day at a Business Chicks event. The statistic that two women are killed every week on average is terrifying. I made a pledge that day to stand with Rosie, tomorrow I will wear the Bandanna provided by her to confirm I continue to stand with Rosie against domestic violence. You too can, take the pledge to stand with Rosie.

Related: I Stand with Rosie

What else does IWD mean to me? It means leading by example, being a positive role model for my daughter and other younger women. With many influences in her life, I want her to learn from me how to be a positive person who can help within the society. Someone who is honest, hardworking, courteous and gives to others. I want to be someone she looks up to. I want to help her understand we are all equal – race, colour, religion or whomever we choose to love doesn’t define if we are better than the next person. This is not a change I plan to make tomorrow, it’s the actions I undertake every day to live my life to make my daughter proud to be a woman.

So as this article is finalised and you think about International Women’s Day, please consider how you can Be Bold For Change and make a difference this year.

By Sam Spence, Founder & Principal Executive Assistant, Executive Virtual Associate.

#BeBoldForChange

If you’d like to share your pledge, plans or thoughts on being bold for change, I’d love to hear about them.

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