Afrolehar has collaborated and supported numerous women throughout the years. In our 5 years of business, we have worked with organizations such as the African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association that serves African immigrant women, we also have worked with entrepreneurial programs such as the Global Youth Innovation Network which showcased women and youth entrepreneurs from accross the world and for the last 4 years, as an active participant of the African Growth Opportunity Act forums, which has, according to the US State Department, created more than 300,000 jobs and affected the lives of female entrepreneurs in Africa; we trust that Congress will reauthorize the legislation for another 10 years to continue to create jobs in Africa.

Our focus on changing the perception of Africa by providing strategies for economic and cultural diplomacy, solutions for image enhancement and management, and creative productions to stimulate audiences, has given us many opportunities to highlight the work of great women. This year alone, during Black History Month, we highlighted the work of African American women such as Madame C.J. Walker who established a Black hair products empire, which has created an estimated size of $684 million in 2012, and of Patricia Bath who created a Laser Surgical device and became the first African American female doctor to patent a medical invention.

Picture: [Left to Right] Angelle Kwemo, Bernadette Paolo, Her Excellency Ambassador Seretse { the first woman to be appointed Botswana's Ambassador to the United States}, Yardly Pollas Afrolehar has also attended and supported many events every month, including the Minority Enterprise Executive Council in 2013, which emphasized the work of many female entrepreneurs.

Picture: President of Liberia, Honorable Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf And earlier this year, we attended the event at the Senate where President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf graced her presence in the US to thank the US role in tackling Ebola, and strengthen this longstanding partnership between her country and the US.

And yet, even among the company of such phenomenal women who are recognized publicly for leading and changing communities and nations in their respective industries, we want to pause and reflect upon the value of all women everywhere. This is one reason why we support events, such as the art expo called Femme Africaine Moderne that showcases the beauty of African women, exhibited at the Embassy of Senegal in Washington DC. The Exhibition is open to the public and will be open until April 17, 2015.

The purpose of International Women’s Month is to take time to celebrate the lives of women that are often overlooked in our history. Afrolehar’s goal during this time therefore, is to emphasize the importance of women everywhere, not overlooking any role. Regardless of fame or cultural ideas of importance, Afrolehar understands every woman, mother, sister, grandmother and daughter to be worthy of honor. We wish that each woman would be confidently fulfilling her purpose and realize that her value is not dependent on others definition of success.

As Maya Angelou said, “A Woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and only herself.”

Although we celebrate women everyday, we would like to say Happy International Women’s Month to all!