Monday was International Women’s Day, celebrated around the world. It is always a good idea to look back, whether it is two days or two centuries, almost as critical as looking forward. The future is where everyone lives. We can take this slogan with us: “‘Choose to Challenge.” It was the theme for International Women’s Day, March 8, 2021. It is the theme for a year and for a lifetime.

“A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change. So let’s all #ChooseToChallenge.” It is as easy as raising your hand. That is the message at the International Women’s Day 2021 website: internationalwomensday.com.

Who is challenging whom? The pitch of this worldwide campaign: “We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.”

It is “International Women’s Day” because countries around the world celebrate, but more. Pause and consider “a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.” That is from the United Nations website.

The old slogan, “think globally, act locally” fits here. The experts working in economic development promote education and equality for girls and women as the single greatest catalyst for local and societal advancement. The International Monetary Fund defines gender equality as “access to education and health, economic opportunities and voice within households and society.”

That is basic, but sadly has not been achieved within all Skagit Valley households. Equality in the state of Washington and in the United States remains an elusive goal. There is a challenge to be met.

“From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge,” is the slogan from the International Women’s Day website. The first challenge is to the self, for basic self-awareness. Every one of us can make that choice, to challenge the status quo, our present day moment. Each of us can decide to accept to challenge our own self. And people love challenges at the same time they hate to change.

March 8 and International Women’s Day is past, but the future is built daily, one decision and one action at a time. Choosing to challenge ourselves to work toward women’s equality by paying attention to very real inequalities is a challenge of a lifetime, our lifetimes.

Women hold up half the sky, whether they are recognized, thanked, paid or considered as equals. Recognizing their equality, now there is a challenge.