In dedication to my mum and I

Written in response to the UN Women Australia’s 2026 theme for International Women’s Day, “Balance the Scales”.

Credit: Thea Schroeder

I am for and foe to weight.

Imprisoned to the weight of holding me, you released us when you held me in your arms so gleefully.

We heard each other beating and spiritually really needing each other to dismantle and decide the women we were going to be.

She chose me when she fought to birth me.

I chose her when I nestled into the fats of her arm and gurgled intelligible things that I knew only she’d understand.

We chose each other when we claimed that South Sudanese lives deserve to bloom on this land, and even that in itself was amazing, because in a pre-South Sudan world where no one knew our names, it was me and you in this moment communicating ‘yes we can and damn the man who don’t hear us’ by just holding each other.

Making space for tears to overflow.

Weighing me on a scale and hoping for high digits.

But…I’m not a baby anymore and I see that in my womanhood, our love doesn’t hypnotise the masses or the civilisation we built anymore, but it’s okay, because I remember the feeling.

To my women, my constitution states the obvious. Repeat the last word with me as your declaration:

1. When they don’t hear you, I will make space for you to let it go into my ear.
2. When they hurt you, you can nestle yourself into the crevice of my arm.
3. When they don’t feel you, you can squeeze your energy into my hand.
4. When they don’t see you, I’ll beam into your soul.
5. When they anger you to red, I’ll blow you kisses in all my lipstick colours to create a flourishing rainbow in your heart.

And no matter how long it takes, or how much it weighs, I will scale it right because I believe in you!

I know that in your ear, arm, hand, soul, heart, you hold the key to everything that life has created.

On the scale stand you, I and the women from before.

We weigh the changes, ideas, voices and life to come then suddenly, the scale breaks — not even a sedentary item could possibly read the supposed, tangible strength and power of a woman.

We read in a by us, for us model for ever, I almost feel propelled to help you live a blissfully ignorant life. The point is that you don’t understand — what a beautiful thing.

I am fore and foe to weight, as long as I break the scale that tries to measure the woman I am.