She is the one who nursed you, cradled you, stood by you, supported you, played with you, pushed you to do your best, looked up to you and loved you. You call her mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt, girlfriend, next door neighbor, homecoming queen and bookworm. There are an innumerable amount of adjectives and nouns to describe a woman. 

The world celebrates International Women’s Day every year on March 8. It sprang into importance in reaction to the 1908 strike of the International Union of Women’s Wear Workers, when 15,000 employees marched throughout New York City’s lower east side to demand political and social rights. Now, the day has grown to such importance and influence that several nations recognize it as a formal holiday. 

Since 1996, the United Nations have assigned a theme to International Women’s Day. This year, that theme is #PressforProgress. According to PR Newswire, this theme stands for, “females recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.” In accordance to the theme, The New York Times beautifully said, “for many women, there was a keen awareness of a major shift in the firmament when it came to gender parity, the treatment of women in the workplace and sexual dynamics.”

Among the strong women celebrated on Thursday stood many transgender women. Trans women participating and being recognized on a day like International Women’s Day is imperative to the progress expected from society in regards to LGBT and women’s rights. Despite inclusivity being a seemingly obvious conclusion, the U.S. appeals court recently handled a federal case that bans sex bias in the workplace and prohibits discrimination against transgender workers. 

Aimee Stephens was recently fired from her job as funeral director after telling her boss she planned to transition from male to female. Formerly known as Anthony, Stephens was unlawfully discriminated against because of her transition. Stephens’ story isn’t the only one. In fact, there are countless cases and rulings eerily similar to Stephen’s experience with discrimination. 

A federal jury awarded Rachel Tudor, a transgender professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, $1.1 million in November in a landmark Title VII case. According to NBC News, “Tudor received a phone call from an unnamed human resources staffer who told her the school’s vice president for academic affairs, Douglas McMillan, had inquired about firing her because her identity as a transgender woman offended his religious beliefs.”

While the U.S. appeals court did rule in both Stephens’ and Tudors’ favor, the cases go to show how much more progress we need to make to achieve a fully inclusive culture in the U.S. 

According to Reuters, Stephens’ lawyers at the American Civil Liberties Union called the decision “an important victory for transgender workers.” Stephens’ lawyers are right about her victory, and while the U.S. government is continuing to create laws and legislature in favor of protecting LGBT rights, there is still a lot of progress to be made.

Sofia Sepulveda of Women’s Health put it perfectly, “We are women, period. We are your sisters. It is important that we are seen, respected and heard. And on International Women’s Day, we celebrate with you.”