Growing up in the African family of six girls, I always noticed that people looked at my parents differently. They would try to sound as casual and non ridiculous as they possibly could when they asked “oh, no boys?” One time I overheard a man asking my father who will carry the family name. I know, my response was also really dude? People looked at my parents in a way that screamed sympathy and disappointment at times. In their minds they were always thinking, what are they going to do with six girls? My father was always positive, he always said they will all become successful. They will make a difference in the world and they will not depend on men. But people always asked, what if they don't? What if they are not smart enough to make it in this male oriented world? That has always been my father's nightmare, us ending up like that-or him having multiple grand-kids, I suppose. He made a promise to do everything for us to get education and make something for ourselves. In my eyes, he did more than just that. He was showing us that it can be done. He showed us that we can be independent, reach our dreams and not only have a seat at the table, but a place in this world. We have a chance and ability to belong and be great. Girls and women all over the world face discrimination more than men. For an African girl child, the situation is worse. In a typical African society, girls are treated differently. Even with technological development, human rights and globalization. For that reason, people thought our parents were “burdened” with six girls. It may sound unbelievable that people still have this attitude, but they do. We live in a world that is fixated on censors and limitation. People are obsessed with the past rather than the future. We dwell on limitations than expansions. We are so used to the ordinary and the routines that something different scare us. It doesn't, and it shouldn't really matter if you have daughters or sons. You should want them to be kind, brave, and smart because these traits matter. My father believed in our ability to be great women and human beings. People looked at our parents differently because they thought girls were less than boys. They said they had to make sure they control us, so that we wouldn't bring shame as daughters do. Having just one daughter was a headache, now they had six! Having daughters meant marriage. It meant us having “proper upbringing” which will make it easy for us to get married and our parents getting dowry. That is not how we were raised. Marriage and kids were some cool ideas of the future but they were definitely not the ultimate definition of success nor the main goal in our lives. I was raised to know that it's okay to be smart and take care of a family.To have a career, and be a care taker.To be a woman doesn't have to be one thing or the other, it's the mixture of different things and it's not necessarily a uniform thing that can be put in a box to be only that. It varies from one person to another. I firsthand witness this in my family. We live with limitations and discrimination every day. They occur in our everyday lives, from the big things that affect our lives to the tiniest things that we think don't matter that much. Sometimes they are part of the traditions we have all been imposed to. Sometimes we do not even know that there are limitations. Sometimes they may be applied unintentionally in our everyday lives. If all these go unchecked for too long, they will affect at least one person. That is one person too many. My parents and my sisters have always inspired me to live my truth. The love that my parents have for me has made me a better person, understanding and believe in goodness and sincerity of people. They have always showed me that we all find our people in the end. In relationships, friendships and even work. They make me believe that just because one person messed up, it doesn't mean everybody will. They inspire me to keep looking because I will find my people in the end. My first sister (an accountant) inspires me to know that I can have it all. She is a great mother, an amazing wife and a smart boss. Above all that, she teaches me to offer the same understanding to people that I expect them to give me. My second sister (an auditor) inspires me to be a go getter, to be driven and to stand up and out, especially if it's a place that thinks women cannot excel. She shows me that being a beautiful woman who hustles her way to the top is a thing. My third sister (a lawyer) teaches me not to let anyone control me. My fourth sister (business manager) teaches me to live life in my own terms, always. My fifth sister (a lawyer) teaches me not to let people project their problems and insecurities on me. Families are the most powerful unit in the societies we live in when we want to bring changes. May we all do better starting with ourselves and our families.