Women’s suffrage. It may be just a phrase for some; something you learn about in a history class once or twice. But what is it actually? It was the beginning of something…monumental. Women took to the streets after years of being told what they can and cannot do. They had enough.

They marched up and down the streets, protesting to the men of the world that they will get a say. They will get rights. And that’s exactly what they got. But even with the 19th amendment ONLY white women were allowed to vote. But that was NOT enough so women kept the protests going until ALL women could vote.

Globally, at least 35 percent of women have suffered from gender-based violence. Sexual violence against women is often deployed as a systematic tool of war. To date, at least 200,000 women have been sexually assaulted during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Women have been fighting for centuries and we still are. Civil rights activist Tarana Burke’s #MeToo movement went viral after Alyssa Milano tweeted asking women who had been sexually assaulted or harassed to reply #MeToo. The post was widely circulated worldwide prompting an international movement, illustrating the breadth and scale of the problem. Women in the millions shared their stories on every social media platform available, finally holding men accountable for their actions.

Despite all these victories, women will never stop fighting until we are finally treated the same as any man. Women are strong and beautiful. We have been fighting for years and look how far we have gotten. Everyday is a battle for women, but we will never lose it. Because women always find a way.