At four in the morning in a neighborhood of Bogotá, Colombia, Marta begins her day. She prepares lunch for her family before heading off to work, only to return home at dusk. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Berlin, Germany, Emma wakes up to go to the gym before managing her company. By the end of the day, despite being thousands of kilometers apart, both women find themselves exhausted and reflective, pondering what to prepare for dinner, yet they both face the future with hope.

Society and the capitalist system impose standards on women regarding beauty, style, and lifestyle, all influenced by financial constraints. Despite these pressures, women from diverse regions, social classes, and economic backgrounds encounter similar challenges. One such challenge is forming and maintaining relationships, which has become increasingly difficult due to loneliness, the complexities of cohabitation, work demands, and the machismo that some men bring to relationships. As a result, women are becoming more selective in choosing a life partner.

Another common struggle for women worldwide is balancing motherhood with professional life. This is a challenge for women in both Mexico and the United States, who must juggle medical appointments, childbirth, maternity leave, discomfort, guilt, permissions, and childcare while striving to maintain their jobs and family life.

Work, economic power, education, access, and career advancement are also unifying factors for women around the globe. These elements contribute to female empowerment, allowing women to grow personally and support their families.

Finally, menopause is a significant transformative phase for adult women, marking the end of menstruation and bringing about psychological, personal, physical, and sexual changes.

Women have fought for centuries to access roles, jobs, and positions traditionally held by men. However, we are learning that true strength lies in female solidarity, mutual respect, tenderness, maternal instinct, and our roles as life-givers, protectors, and caretakers. This is the essence of our feminine power.

This spirit of empowerment is vividly portrayed in the Netflix series Survival of the Thickest. Its engaging and revealing storyline underscores that female unity is crucial for human survival. We need more women’s networks; with the internet and other means, connecting across distances is now possible. Borders have become shorter and less visible, allowing us to share our knowledge, experiences, and sensitivities, and to empathize with one another.

Nasly Niyiret Rodríguez Hernández holds a degree in Psychopedagogy from the National Pedagogical University, a Master’s in Education from the National University of Colombia, and works as an educator in the public sector. Her interests include reading, dancing, painting, traveling, and enjoying genres like jazz, blues, soul, and Colombian folklore. She is passionate about history, politics, geography, and the diverse cultures of the world.

The article was originally published in Spanish.

Translation by Magcondo’s Editorial Task Force.

Picture Courtesy of Chris Murray (Contact)