Thoughts on International Women’s Day – about strength, femininity and that special Viennese elegance
t was one of those clear Viennese mornings when the city breathes a little slower. I sat by the window in Café Central, my hands wrapped around a hot cup of coffee, lipstick freshly applied, coat perfectly draped over the back of the chair—and I watched women.
Not conspicuously.
Just that quiet watching.
An older lady with perfectly styled hair and pearl earrings, reading her newspaper with an ease as if she’d already reinvented the wheel three times over. Two young women in business attire, laptops open, espressos half-finished, eyes full of ambition. A mother pushing a stroller with one hand and talking on the phone with the other—organized, present, alert.
And I thought to myself: How incredibly strong we actually are. Not dramatic. Not loud. But in that very own, elegant way that we women have perfected.
International Women's Day.
A day that’s been widely discussed. Politically. Socially. Historically. But today I want to look at it differently. Not as a manifesto. But as a moment. A moment to look at ourselves—not critically, but with love. Because we deserve it.
I believe being a woman in 2026 feels different than it did ten years ago. More self-assured. More conscious. More ambitious. We don’t just want to function. We want to shape our lives. We build careers. We invest in ourselves, our education, our dreams. We attend cultural events like those at the Leopold Museum and discuss art, we go to concerts at Grafenegg Castle, we stand dressed up at events like the Longines Global Champions Tour Vienna – and some of us, myself included, feel that old thrill returning because we were once competitive equestrians ourselves.
We are not just spectators of our own lives. We are the main characters. And yet – and this is crucial – we remain vulnerable.
What do I love about women?
This incredible ability to carry multiple worlds at once.
We can stand disciplined in Pilates in the morning, argue in a meeting at midday, and talk about heartbreak with friends in the evening as if it were an art form. We can project strength and still admit to ourselves that we sometimes doubt ourselves. We don’t have to choose between ambition and emotion. We are both. And I think that’s precisely our modern form of elegance. People often talk about strength as if it were something hard. Like concrete. Like steel. But our strength is different.
It’s like silk. Soft—yet tear-resistant.
It’s not just about success, but about perseverance. Not just about winning, but about continuing. We go through heartbreak and still look impeccably dressed for invitations. We wear worries under perfectly tailored blazers. We smile even though our minds are busy writing to-do lists. And we don’t do it to meet expectations. But because we have learned to support ourselves.
All our roles in life
I often think about how many roles we play at once. Friend. Partner. Daughter. Colleague. Mentor. Sometimes just the woman sitting alone on the couch in the evening, trying not to be strong for a little while.
And yet: We don’t fall apart. We grow.
What I wish for—not just on International Women’s Day—is that we stop constantly comparing ourselves. Who has the better figure? Who earns more? Who travels more? Who seems happier? We only see the surface. Never the whole mountain beneath. Perhaps the woman in the perfect outfit is carrying an invisible burden. Perhaps the seemingly independent woman is struggling with self-doubt. Perhaps the successful woman sometimes feels incredibly alone.
And yet, we all get up in the morning. Put on our lipstick. Go out into the city. Isn’t that strength?
Our silent crowns
– they are always there
I like the idea that every woman is a little princess. Not in the fairytale sense. Not waiting to be rescued. But in the sense of dignity. A princess knows her worth. She doesn’t have to shout to be heard. She knows that her presence is enough. We don’t wear our crown visibly. But we do wear it. In our attitude. In our decisions. In our courage to keep going—no matter what challenges life throws our way.
Because yes – life deals us tasks.
Sometimes fairly. Sometimes utterly unfairly. Career decisions. Relationship endings. Health challenges. Family responsibilities. New beginnings that take courage. And yet – we master them. Not always perfectly. Not always with a flourish. But with flying colors. Maybe not immediately. Maybe with tears. Maybe with detours. But we get there.
I see it in my community. In the messages I receive. In the stories you share. Women starting over. Women setting boundaries. Women ending relationships. Women starting businesses. Women learning to prioritize themselves. And every time, I think: We are so much stronger than we realize.
It's not just this one day
Not an Instagram hashtag that disappears after 24 hours. It should be a quiet reminder.
A moment in a café. A glance in the mirror. A thought on the way home. You are enough. Not if you get even thinner. Not if you’re even more successful. Not if you achieve even more. Now.
I wish we would celebrate ourselves more often. Not arrogantly. Not haughtily. But with appreciation. For the nights we spent calming ourselves. For the decisions no one saw. For persevering even when giving up would have been easier. We are not here to be perfect.
We are here to live. To feel To create. And yes – to be beautiful. In our own unique way.
My closing remarks to you girls
I’m proud to be a woman!
Perhaps that’s precisely our true superpower:
That we can feel—deeply and intensely—and still function. That we love—courageously—even though we know it makes us vulnerable. That we constantly reinvent ourselves without losing our core. We are adaptable. We are multifaceted. We are elegant and wild at the same time. And we deserve to celebrate ourselves for it.
So today – to us.
To the women in the café. To the women in meetings. To the women in high heels on Viennese cobblestones. To the women who are doubting themselves right now, yet still won’t give up. We may wear our crown quietly. But we do wear it. And no matter how many challenges life throws our way – we will master them. With style. With heart. With that special blend of Viennese elegance and inner fire. We are strong. We are beautiful.
We are little princesses with incredible resilience.
And we should never forget that. 🤍
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