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.

International Women's Day: Why we celebrate it

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.

International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Show all 17 1 /17 International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Radical political activist Angela Davis speaks at a protest in Raleigh Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Poor pay, 14 hour days and dangerous working conditions led to a strike by around 1400 women and girls at a match factory in Bow, London, 1888. The action was later coined ‘The Matchgirls Strike’ International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Christabel Pankhurst, one of the founders of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and a leading member of the suffragette movement, addresses a crowd in Trafalgar Square in a speech in which she invites the crowd to ‘rush’ the House of Commons, 11 October 1908. Christabel Pankhurst and her mother Emmeline, alongside Flora Drummond, were arrested two days later charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. The rush on parliament went ahead without them however, with over 60,000 suffragettes attempting to break through the 5000 strong police cordon protecting parliament. Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Suffragette Emily Davison is hit and killed by King George V's horse Anmer during the 1913 Epsom Derby. She fell underneath the galloping horse after leaping from the crowd and trying to grab hold of the reins Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Striking women machinists from the Ford plant at Dagenham protest outside negotiations over their wages, 1968. The women went on strike over their lack of pay in relation to their male colleagues. The action helped to trigger the Equal Pay Act 1970 Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history The women's liberation movement march in Washington, August 1970 Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Protestors disrupt the 1970 Miss World competition. Original caption: ‘The Miss World contest causes a feminist storm as demonstrators invade the Royal Albert Hall where the contest was held. Protestors fired ink at spectators and let off stink bombs in scenes resembling a school assembly. The unruly ladies were eventually expelled from the hall by security guards and policemen’ Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Somalians demonstrating in Mogadishu for the release of Angela Davis, March 1972, a Black Panther activist imprisoned in the USA after being charged with first degree murder. Davis was later acquitted Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Jayaben Desai, one of the mostly British-Asian women out on strike at the Grunwick factory in 1977, pictured on the picket line Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Women protest against nuclear weapons outside of RAF base Greenham Common, 1982 Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Indian protestors hold candles during a rally in New Delhi in December 2012, after the death of a student who was gang raped on a bus in the Indian capital Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history A feminist group Sisters Uncut protesting against cuts to domestic violence refuges occupy the red carpet during a protest at the Suffragette premiere, 7 October 2015 Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history People gather for the Women’s March in Washington, January 2017 Reuters International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Protesters walk during the Women’s March on Washington, with the US Capitol in the background, in January, 2017. Donald Trump was sworn in as president the previous day Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Women march as part of the gender equality protest in London, March 2017 AFP/Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Demonstrators march through during the March4Women event, 4 March 2018, London Getty International Women’s Day: groundbreaking figures from history Placards are displayed during the March4Women, 4 March 2018, London Getty

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.