A Letter to the Daughters of the World
In 2021 Bloomsbury published my book 'From Women to the World', featuring thirty six letters written by driven, passionate, no-nonsense women from nineteen countries. I had asked these women to address these letters to an important woman in their life. I believe that the experiences, wisdom and lessons of women deserve to be heard, shared and passed on to future generations. This book for me is a space where women from different backgrounds could share their journeys, the challenges they had overcome, and the values that guided them. My hope is to inspire younger women and men to see leadership differently, not simply as a position of power, but as a responsibility to create positive change. Ultimately, the book is my invitation to listen, learn from one another, and recognise that every story carries the potential to inspire another. Below is my own letter from the book, addressed to the 'Daughters of the World'.
Dear Daughters of the World,
These lines are written while humankind is dangling above an abyss of uncertainty. The 2020 pandemic has been a shocking body blow to our world. We have been trying to make sense of what happened. Find our feet, figure out which way we are now heading. We are moving towards a new age, but the future -oh my God- still so blurred! People talk about a ‘new normal’. What is it going to look like? Will it be a ‘great reset’ for women, and indeed for everyone – above all, for our children? As I write these lines there are no answers. Blindfolded, we are being pushed towards an unknown destination.
It is in these times that I address you, Daughters of the World, as warriors and guardians – and our hope for the future. There may be differences between us, but our similarities are many and they bond us together, regardless of who we are. We should not allow otherness to separate us. Our existence spreads across the lives of all women. Can we find relevance, and shelter, in each other’s stories?
I write this letter as an invitation and an ode to each one of us; every born or yet unborn daughter. A tribute to every woman who has been brought to this world in a variety of ways and under any circumstances. Whether born to a young girl, a rape victim, a child bride, or a 50-year-old mother; to the daughter of an adoptive parent or an uprooted refugee giving birth alone – wounded and terrified in a
camp somewhere in the world. An ode to the woman born in a mud house in Kabul, in a shelter for abused women in Monrovia, or the woman giving birth inside a vacant home in Detroit, the temporary refuge from her homelessness. Each of their stories, as with yours and mine, could be that of any woman. We didn’t choose it, we didn’t ask for it, we couldn’t help it. But we can change
it for each other. So may our hearts be fired with passion to look into each other’s eyes with concern, care and compassion. Let us form a human chain that will leave no woman behind!
Daughters of the World,
imagination and will are our tools to rebuild our broken societies, shape our future. Let us imagine the new world as a place
where everyone will get an opportunity to thrive. Let us re-imagine a future where we challenge our own and each other’s
thinking. This is our opportunity to take that ‘great reset’ into our hands and flourish not against, but thanks to, the multiplicity of our cultures.
Let’s share a vision that honors our multidimensional histories. “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live singleissue lives”, Audre Lorde reminds us.
The Greek word for truth is ‘alethia’, it means ‘no oblivion’. We should never allow each other’s stories to sink into oblivion. Let’s hear, remember and repeat them: the stories of our mothers, sisters and daughters make a mosaic of myriad truths and memories.
To the younger Daughters of the World, here is my call to you,
Plant the seeds of your uniqueness. Trust your heart, your inner compass. Each of us is matchless, unequalled. Dare to dream, set your feelings free, let your ideas fly. Rise up and never compare yourself to others, nor allow others to compare you to anyone else. What makes you vulnerable will be your strength, so carry your uniqueness with pride. Aim for the world in its entirety. Embark
on your own Odyssey, be Ulysses in the form of woman, of whom stories will be written and told.
Challenge your limits, go in directions that few might dare to take. Fear is only in our minds. Through hardship, pain and tragedy, we find strength and inspiration to begin again, to restart our lives – and our world! Whenever you need to fight injustice, segregation, or anyone who tries to clip your wings, rise and fight fiercely and fearlessly as Athena. There is no space for fear when we must revolt against what disagrees with our soul. There is no space for fear when we hear a cry for help. Never lose yourself in the noise of the crowd. When everyone around you talks, consider silence. When everyone competes, observe and learn. Each of us writes our
own history and builds our own legacy every single day. Your values will make your life’s journey worthwhile. Integrity, dignity, determination: let them be your peaceful, invincible arms. In a world seeking identity, hunting for its soul, make sure you guard and nurture your authenticity.
Dear Daughters of the World,
You have survived wars, rape, homelessness, betrayal, racism, and so much more. And through your pains, our pains, let us lift the veil and see that skin colour, race, class do not define our humanness. When we close our eyes, there are no colours. When the world faces its end, we realise that we are all equally vulnerable, temporary. All we need is to feel the warmth of a hand holding our own. You have my back, and I have yours. We have each other. This is our humanness. Time passes before we know it; it slips through our fingers like sand. When you look in the mirror, sometimes you will see the girl that you know. At other times you will see a woman you may not immediately recognise. Her movement no longer has the same briskness. She stares at you, and her eyes reflect the endlessness of this world. Every crease on her face is a memory of what was survived and what was achieved. Symbols of a life well fought, a life well
laughed, a journey whose destination is to be found among the pains and the blessings. Both women are real. Together they went through a lot, so let them live in peace side by side.
Remember that our similarities are many, and they are our bond, regardless
of who we are.
See you in the mirror.
Onwards,
Elizabeth