Celebrating International Women’s Day 2023

Today is International Women’s Day. To celebrate women and their leadership, we asked our women team members for a quote that inspires and empowers them.

Favorite quote of Vita

Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.

– Oprah Winfrey

For me, this quote is very true as it emphasizes the importance of passion and enthusiasm in all aspects of our lives, including work. When we are passionate about something, we are driven by an inner force that gives us energy and motivation to pursue our goals with enthusiasm and dedication. Focusing on what excites us can help us channel our energy and creativity towards something meaningful. It allows us to tap into our innate talents and abilities, to discover our full potential. I think passion is not something that we simply stumble upon, but rather something that we actively cultivate and nurture. By focusing on what excites us, we can explore new interests, learn new skills, and push ourselves to achieve more than we ever thought possible.

Favorite quote of Evgenia

I do not allow myself to be overcome by hopelessness, no matter how tough the situation. I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that in itself creates new potential.

– Vandana Shiva

If you are working in the global humanitarian or development system, as a staff member of a NGO or a charity organization, you interact with individuals, communities or institutions in crisis. Often you feel that the effort you deploy to bring relief to those in need is insufficient to change the situation on the ground. The words of Vandana Shiva remind me that every effort I make with the intention to help in some way, will contribute goodness and light, help someone and make this world better for all of us.

Favorite quote of Leanne

When you can’t find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example.

– Roxane Gay

 This quote comes from the essay collection by Roxane Gay titled ‘Bad Feminist’ – a general recommended read in my opinion. For me, this quote in particular highlights the importance of personal leadership, and serves as a reminder of the power of standing by your beliefs and following your own path. In the same essay, Gay also writes, “let us (try to) become the feminists we would like to see moving through the world.” It is this combination of 1) compassion for the imperfect, and 2) the necessity of action that you’ll find throughout her work that I find inspiring and hopeful. For me, it also translates to a broader call that’s especially relevant for climate action: Let us try to be the people we would like to see moving through the world, and find ways to lead by example.

Favorite quote of Annebelle

Fearlessness may be a gift but perhaps more precious is the courage acquired through endeavour, courage that comes from cultivating the habit of refusing to let fear dictate one’s actions, courage that could be described as ‘grace under pressure’ – grace which is renewed repeatedly in the face of harsh, unremitting pressure.

– Aung San Suu Kyi

These words come from Aung San Suu Kyi’s essay “Freedom From Fear” (1990), commemorating her recieval of the 1990 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. To me, it encompasses what many of the strong women in my life have instilled in me; I should not shy away from fear, but rather embrace and overcome it in order to achieve true freedom. It is a strength, not a weakness, to acknowledge and feel such emotions, and can be used to your ultimate advantage.