The sisterhood helped me transition with my sanity intact. This International Women's Day, we should embrace supportive intersectional feminism

For me, sisterhood isn’t just about how many of us there are, it’s about the details: who has shown up, who is represented, whose voice is listened to, whose needs are prioritised, whose experiences are validated, who is accepted into the fold

Munroe Bergdorf is a model and activist (Dimitrios Theocharis)

Intersectionality. A feminist theory coined by American legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, which considers that aspects of identity such as race, class, sexuality, gender identity, age and ability, cannot be separated from each other when understanding the human condition. Rather they are interwoven and must be looked at as a whole in order to understand the wider picture.

For me personally, as a transgender woman, it wasn’t until I discovered intersectionality that I truly discovered a branch of feminism that I could relate to.

I view womanhood as a universal experience. Our personal experiences may differ from woman to woman, but there is an unspoken and intangible light within all of us, that links us across the planet. International Women’s Day (IWD) is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the beauty within our differences, to share our histories, to acknowledge our talents and to broaden our perspectives of the female experience.

The beginning of my transition felt like standing at the bottom of a very steep mountain with no clear trail, no map and no tent instructions. Everything was guesswork. I felt like I was playing catchup, clambering to understand a person that I always was, but never got the chance to be. I didn’t have the language to put into words how I was feeling at that time and I didn’t have the reference points to foresee where I was going. It wasn’t until I met other women and girls like me, that I began to understand the power in sisterhood.

Sisterhood to me is an understanding – an understanding that life is easier when we come together. There is strength in numbers, but for me, sisterhood isn’t just about how many of us there are, it’s about the details…who has shown up, who is represented, whose voice is listened to, whose needs are prioritised, whose experiences are validated, who is accepted into the fold.

I’m of the belief that it’s not just our feminism or understanding of the human condition that should be intersectional, but our approach to sisterhood should also be approached this way.

In understanding the experiences of others we begin to unpick our own identity and understand our place within the world. My ideal sisterhood isn’t just about diversity – although it’s a great place to start – it’s about truly listening to each other to understand how each individual got to where we are in life, especially when that route differs from our own.

Sisterhood helped me to transition with my sanity intact, it taught me that for every adversity there is a lesson and that lesson is usually found in listening to the experiences of a wide range of other women. This is why I love International Women’s Day. It acts as a reminder that no matter where you are in the world, no matter what our race, age, class, gender identity, ethnicity, language, culture, ability, sexuality or education backgrounds, every single one of our experiences as a woman is valid.

Personally, I wish every day was like IWD, the more we are made aware of what amazing strides we are making as a global female community, and the more that we are given the opportunity to cheer each other on, the more inspired and determined we will all be with our own journeys. IWD is a chance for us all to break out of our echo chambers and open our minds to the fact that womanhood is not a singular, simple or uniform path. Humanity is an evolution and thus, womanhood must also be seen as evolving.

If I can give one piece of advice this IWD, it is to be open. Read and listen to a wide range of stories from a wide range of women, understand their struggles and victories, look into their thought processes and support systems. As a woman I guarantee you that it will allow you to access a heightened sense of calmness, or as an ally it will help you to understand what we need to help push society forward.

Take an intersectional view of IWD this year, by making sure that we celebrate all women and girls, from all backgrounds and all experiences. Set a different tone for 2018 and beyond, where more women feel encouraged to be themselves and inspired to assist others in their growth as well. IWD is for everybody, but it is also a chance for us as women to shine, listen, read, share, and love. The more of us who are shining across the world, the less of us are left in the dark.

Munroe Bergdorf is a model and activist. You can follow her on Twitter @MunroeBergdorf