You see, I am a fortunate woman who has long been surrounded by men who respect and value my strength of character and abilities, and have encouraged me to achieve.

My grandfathers and my father all saw this strength in me at a very early age and as such their expectations were high, never limited by the fact that I was female. Maybe at times too high, although perhaps this is what instilled in me a "never give up" approach to life.

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My husband is equally confident in my capabilities, even when my own confidence wanes.

I have also been fortunate throughout my career to have both male and female superiors who have been supportive and encouraging of me, at times elevating me to higher duties even when I was uncertain of my abilities.

So my first thought was, how can I speak on the struggles of women? And so I embrace the global theme of International Women's Day 2021: Choose to challenge.

I can honestly say I enjoy a sense of equality and I have been blessed with equal opportunities. I feel thankful that these opportunities have come about not as a token gesture - because I am a women and the box of equal rights needs to be ticked - but because others, both men and women, have recognised my abilities.

I also revel in a more traditional role of wife and mother - I love being a homemaker as much as I love having a career.

I feel blessed that the best of both worlds has been possible for me. As I consider my many women friends, I realise I am not alone in enjoying such opportunities.

Women before me have blazed a trail to make this possible and in turn I hope I can demonstrate to future generations - especially my daughters and the young women who I work with - that you can achieve more than you might think.

I know this is not the case for all women, but the International Women's Day celebration is about acknowledging how far we have come and what is possible.

Those women who are happy about where they sit in the world, what they have achieved and the lives they live, are a beacon of hope for those who are oppressed and those who are still finding their way.

They also demonstrate the potential and capabilities of women to every man, woman and child.

Jackie Meyers is an editor with ACM

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