My husband tells me I have this tic. He notices it when I’m upset but don’t want to say anything. I know exactly what he means. I press the tip of my tongue against my left incisor, as if to barricade the words inside. Once, I pressed so hard my tongue bled.
It was March. I remember because a former colleague had made a joke. “Why don’t we have Men’s Month? Don’t we deserve recognition, too?” Normally, I would have let his ignorance slide, but this time, I couldn’t help myself.
“Because it’s men’s month every month,” I replied.
His head snapped toward me, his expression a challenge. “Oh, we have a feminist here.”
I wanted to say so much more. That the absence of a designated men’s month is precisely the point. That power is still imbalanced. That gender-based violence, workplace discrimination, and societal expectations continue to weigh heavier on women. That he can walk the streets without wondering if his outfit invites danger. That his ambition is called “drive,” while mine is called “aggression.” That if he becomes a father, no one will ask him, “Who’s taking care of the baby while you’re at work?”
But I swallowed it all because I didn’t want to be that girl—the difficult one. The one who “can’t take a joke.”
Later that day, as I struggled to open a door while carrying too much, he stepped in to help. “Not such a feminist now, huh?” he quipped.
Years later, I still think about that moment. I still have imaginary shower debates about what I should have said. (Yes, in some versions, I kick him in the balls.) But mostly, I think about the many times women stay silent because silence is the safer choice. Because despite the world’s assurances, we are not always safe.
In early February, over a hundred women were raped and burned alive during a jailbreak in Congolese Goma. The escaped male prisoners’ first thought was not freedom, but violence—violence against women.
So yes, March is Women’s Month because the fight is far from over.
For this issue of PULSE, we not only celebrate Women’s Month but also amplify the voices demanding change. We remember the trailblazers who fought for our rights, the ones who shattered glass ceilings, and the countless women who continue to push forward despite the odds. We tell the stories that matter, the ones that inspire and ignite action. And when the world feels heavy, we lift each other up, we press play on our power anthems, and we march on.
Our March cover, Ann-Sophiel, is a testament to strength and self-determination. She reclaims her narrative, turning her womanhood into a source of power rather than a limitation. Because feminism has never been about competition; it’s about equity. It’s about breaking down barriers so that women no longer have to ask for what should already be theirs: respect, opportunity, and autonomy.
This Women’s Month, may you speak without hesitation, take up space without apology, and fight without fear. May we be the ones who refuse to shrink, who challenge the status quo, who demand better—not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come. Because silence has never saved us, but our voices just might.