There was a time, I told my daughter, when you were no more than a microscopic egg. It was with love and a little bit of luck that one of your father´s cells managed to find mine and then there was life. Some call it science, others call it nature. I say it is a miracle.

Scientists claim there are 50 % chances for this fusion to generate a boy or a girl. They also say it is the father who decides this, depending on the genes he conveys to the next generation. So you can blame your father for all the female drama, blame your father for the great amount of headaches attached to being a girl. But you must thank him for being part of the strongest and most influential sex.

I wish I could tell you that women have always been equal to men and that their role in society was valued and dignified. If I said so I would be lying. What I can say is that many fought hard and dedicated their lives so that their voice would be heard. And you know what? They were!

In order to prove the world they could manage simultaneously a professional and family life, many women had to juggle both parental and career responsibilities. This was not easy as they were under a great amount of stress and pressure by men, employers and the media. Despite all these, they were able to use their skills and knowledge to perform tasks successfully. Gradually, they started to be accepted as dignified and fully capable workers and so they emerged into the workforce.

Because of their effort you can expect to earn as much as men do for the same job. Actually, chances are you will have a faster career progression. Furthermore, you are much more likely to find a leadership position and have a say in decisionmaking than fifteen years ago. What`s more? You do not have to give up working in order to have a family. Now responsibilities are equally shared by both parents resulting in a much better father-child relationship. Likewise, women do not expect to rely on men´s earnings after marriage. They are far more independent both economically and socially. This was essential for them to exercise control over their lives and make genuine choices.

I guess it must be hard for you to picture such a different reality, but you must understand these were great achievements. Some years ago, although they represented 60 % of university graduates, women had a hard time trying to impose their opinion on crucial decisions. Their skills were not valued like they are now and that is the main reason why companies are becoming more and more successful. It was a matter of time until they realised they needed the best well trained workers, the majority of whom were women. As a matter of fact statistics have repeatedly shown gender equality pays off. Getting more women into the labour market and in top jobs has benefited both economy and business fields. This is also related to the fact that diversity of gender, opinions and views results in sustainable company development and higher profits.

You must be wondering the reason why it took so long for these conclusions to come out. I have asked myself the same question over and over again. I guess there are no right answers. Throughout the years many terrible mistakes have been made and gender inequality is one of them. The one thing I know is that women have always had ambitions to reach top positions and now that they have, nothing can stop them.

Despite being very enthusiastic about women empowerment I by no means support the idea that women should reverse positions with men. This would be neither fair nor healthy. In the end women and men are not similar; they have different goals in life. They must however have equal rights and opportunities in what concerns careers and work.

I am telling you all this for you to know that there is nothing you dream of that is impossible. If you work hard and put your heart in everything you do, I am sure you will accomplish great things. Just be aware that we live in a world that changes every day, so do not ever take gender equality for granted. And most important of all, don´t forget that women and men benefit from working side by side so differences should never represent a barrier between both genders.