International Women’s Day emerged from a historical context of suffragist struggles and labor demands—rightfully so. In liberal democracies, it was natural and important that women, newly integrated into the workforce, also sought equality under the law and better working conditions from their employers.
A century after the political fervor that firmly established March as the month for women, the celebration of this date varies between politicization and romanticization: some people honor women with flowers and chocolates, while others advocate for state interventions in favor of women.
Even in 2024, there are still places where women cannot drive, vote, own private property, or inherit. Until 2023, Brazilian women who wanted to undergo tubal ligation had to meet several requirements, including obtaining their spouse’s consent. In all these misfortunes, the heavy hand of the state controlling women’s private lives is evident. It’s important to note that all these restrictions are only possible if enforced and supervised by the state. Therefore, to make women even freer, the standard is clear: we must remove the state’s presence from our lives.
In countries that flirt with variations of communism and socialism—Cuba, Venezuela, the Soviet Union, North Korea, and the like—women are relegated to a secondary role. In contrast, in countries with a liberal tradition and high levels of economic and political freedom, such as Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Western Europe, women’s levels of freedom are influential for the rest of the world.
I won’t be reckless: in liberal democracies, women’s political representation is not yet on par with that of men, but it is only in these countries that female leadership is genuinely exercised both in practice and in principle.
However, there should be no doubt. Between communist or liberal men influencing women’s lives, I choose women deciding for themselves. But let it also be clear: this last option is only possible in liberal democracies where the state is limited in political and economic terms.
Only countries with high levels of economic freedom allow flexibility in work, enabling the balance between family and professional responsibilities, and perhaps even political careers. This is the environment conducive to the flourishing of women’s true potential.
The progress achieved by 2024 is worth celebrating. Despite its communist ideological origins but with legitimate demands, today we have the privilege of looking back and celebrating International Women’s Day with the certainty that nothing has improved our lives more than equality before the law and the functioning of the free market. So, for me, on this International Women’s Day, I’ll gladly accept flowers, a good wine, and generous doses of free-market principles.