International Women's Day: My role model

MSc Business with Marketing student, Bao Ngoc Phan, celebrates International Women’s Day by telling us a bit about a woman that inspires her, as well as her thoughts on the current state of gender equality.

This year, International Women’s Day feels different. I’m over 6,000 miles from home, pursuing an education that once felt out of reach. I owe this journey to my mother - the woman who shaped my world with quiet strength and endless patience.

The importance of inspiring women

My mother is a high school teacher. But to me, she is much more than that. She is the person who carried our family through the hardest times, the one who never let me believe I was anything less than capable.

When I was young, she worked as both a teacher and a farmer to provide for us while my father pursued his studies. She did it without complaint, or expecting recognition. I often wonder how she found the strength to manage it all. Teaching during the day, farming in the early mornings and late evenings, coming home to take care of me and checking on my studies in school – always with a smile on her face. She had never let me feel the weight of her exhaustion.

Later, when our family became more stable, people would ask her why she didn’t stay home, like many other women in our community. After all, she had done so much. But my mother never saw teaching as a job she could walk away from. It is a part of who she was.

Even after she gave up her leadership role to spend more time with us, she stood on the podium, pouring her energy into supporting her student's growth. She treats every student as capable.

She believed that intelligence took different forms and worked hard to teach in a way that suited each child's strengths. Many of her students needed support beyond the classroom, and she quietly helped them so they could stay in school.

Through my eyes, she never told me to be strong. She shows me what strength should look like.

The value of education

Thanks to my mom, I have never doubted the power of education. She taught me that knowledge is freedom - the key to shaping your own life and education is the most direct path to opportunity. She reminded me that talent alone is never enough, it’s how much effort you’re willing to put in to match it.

When I was 19 and had the chance to take an internship at a private resort in Maldives, I was terrified. It meant leaving home, stepping into the unknown, and working in a place where I knew no one. I almost rejected that opportunity. But she looked at me and said, "If you don’t take this chance, you’ll regret it. You worked for this. Go and see where it takes you."

She was right. Even though that time was short, the experience changed me. It made me realise how big the world is and how much there is to learn beyond the comfort of home.

It gave me the courage to move to Hong Kong for work and, later, to the UK for further studies. Whenever I felt unsure, she reminded me that I had worked hard for these opportunities and should not let fear hold me back.

What does accelerate action mean?

Not everyone has someone like my mother to push them forward. Many women are still told what they can and cannot do. That’s why this year’s theme, “Accelerate Action,” matters. It’s not just about discussing gender equality - it’s about making real changes.

We need to stop seeing women’s ambitions as something unusual. We must create workplaces where women don’t have to fight for fair pay or opportunities. We need schools that encourage girls to dream big, without limits.

My mother always told me that education is the shortest path to opportunity. She was right. However, opportunity should not be a privilege given to a few, it should be the standard for everyone.

If you feel lost or unsure of yourself, I hope you find someone who believes in you as my mother did in me. And if you don’t, I hope you learn to believe in yourself. You are more capable than you think.

There were many moments when I felt like I wasn’t good enough. I still do sometimes. But when I think of my mother - of all the sacrifices she made and the strength she carried without complaining - I remind myself to keep going.

So, on this International Women’s Day, I want to honour her. And I want to honour every woman who lifts others up, pushes forward despite the obstacles, and refuses to let the world decide their worth.

Let’s keep pushing. Let’s ensure no girl grows up thinking she has to ask permission to chase her dreams.