Today on International Women’s Day I will be thinking of the extraordinary Ukrainian women who are showing the world what courage, resistance, and resiliency looks like.

Including the 79-year-old great grandmother Valentyna Konstantynovska  who learned how to use an  AK-47 rifle as part of civilian combat training in Ukraine

We all must stand in solidarity with these heroic women of Ukraine who are at the forefront of fighting the Russian invasion of their country.

Along with the women bearing rifles who make up 15% of the regular Ukrainian army are the legion of valiant women who feel first-hand the devastating impact that war has on their families and their communities.

Amidst the fighting and violence surrounding them, women walk through the frozen night, juggling infants in their arms, little children tugging at their jackets,  leaving a war-ravaged land that only a week ago was home.

They are traveling over long distances under the most terrible circumstances to bring their children their friends’ children, and their beloved pets to safety. These women continue to work under bombardment and indiscriminate shelling as doctors, nurses, and other professionals providing essential services to their communities.

You have our deepest support, love and respect.

Let us celebrate the female spirit.