National Women Day

Yesterday it was international women day something which is being celebrated in many countries and generally involves flowers and a nice diner. But when I turned on the tv in the morning to have a look at the news, I saw pictures of a face so familiar to many in France and beyond. The face belonged to Ingrid Betancourt, the Franco Colombian hostage taken by the FARC about 6 years ago. A lady that I didn’t know very well before but when you read about her and what she has tried to do for her country you can only admire her and support her cause. Seeing those images in the morning I thought that she might have been released, as a number of other hostages have been over the last months, but unfortunately this wasn’t true.

They showed pictures of a once strong woman that now looked frail and without any hope for release, although I think she is probably still stronger than she appears to be.

The released hostages have made comments about her being ill and in need of medical support but it seems like the Farc is not willing to hand over their most valuable hostage not even when the French president is making it his priority.
National women day might be a big marketing effort of the companies to get in more revenue and it probably is but when you really look at the essence of that day, I think of her.

After the interviews with her family and friends, the documentaries that were on French television I think that she embodies a strong woman that is/was trying to make change happen and fight for it and even more die for it! That is something many political leaders now a day lack, real determination to make a change and fight for what they believe in. With elections in Italy, France and the USA, this fight is something all those political leaders should take a lesson from and make politics issues something to fight for. I sincerely hope that one day she will have that chance to make a difference and proof to everybody that having the will power and a strong fighting spirit can make a difference!

Ingrid Betancourt is for me the woman that should have been celebrated yesterday.