Honouring Women's Wellbeing: International Women's Day and Mental Health

Every year on 8 March, the world pauses to celebrate International Women's Day — to honour the achievements of women, acknowledge the ground still to be covered, and recommit to a more equitable world. This year, we want to bring that conversation closer to home: to the interior lives of women, to the mental and emotional weight that so often goes unacknowledged, and to what it truly means to flourish.

What Is International Women's Day Really About?

International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900s. It is both a celebration and a call to action — recognising the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world, while drawing attention to the inequalities that persist.

In recent years, the conversation has expanded to include mental and emotional health — areas where women face unique challenges that are often minimised or misunderstood.

The Unique Mental Health Landscape for Women

Women are disproportionately affected by certain mental health conditions. This is not a sign of weakness — it reflects the complex intersection of biology, hormones, social roles, and lived experience.

• Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders.

• Perinatal mental health — including postnatal depression and pregnancy-related anxiety — affects up to 1 in 5 women.

• Women are more likely to internalise stress, which can manifest as self-criticism, perfectionism, or people-pleasing.

• Hormonal transitions across the lifespan (puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause) can significantly affect mood and emotional regulation.

• Societal pressures around appearance, caregiving, and performance place an enormous invisible load on many women.

In Singapore, women also navigate the particular pressures of a high-achieving culture — balancing careers, family expectations, and personal wellbeing in a context where asking for help can still feel like a sign of failure.

What Does Emotional Wellbeing Look Like for Women?

Wellbeing is not the absence of struggle. For many women, it looks like learning to set boundaries without guilt, grieving the versions of themselves they have outgrown, processing relationship pain with honesty, and building a relationship with themselves that is not contingent on productivity or likability.

Therapy offers a space where women can explore these experiences without performing strength, without minimising their pain, and without being told they are 'too much.'

This Women's Day, What Would It Mean to Truly Take Care?

Self-care goes deeper than a spa day. Real emotional self-care includes:

• Letting yourself feel what you actually feel, without rushing to fix it

• Saying no — without justification — when your capacity is stretched

• Seeking professional support when you are struggling, rather than waiting until you are in crisis

• Spending time with people who make you feel safe, seen, and valued

At Parts of Us Counselling, we work with women navigating all kinds of challenges — anxiety, relationship difficulties, identity questions, life transitions, and more. You do not need to be in a crisis to benefit from therapy. Sometimes, you just need a space that is entirely yours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is therapy specifically for women different? Not always, but a good therapist will understand the gendered dimensions of a woman's experience — including systemic pressures, relational patterns, and hormonal influences — without pathologising them.

I feel like others have it worse. Should I still seek help? Yes. Pain is not a competition. Your struggles are valid, and support is for everyone — not just those in crisis.

What if I don't know what I want from therapy? That is completely okay. Many people begin with a vague sense that something is not right. A therapist can help you find the words and the way forward.

This Women's Day, we invite you to honour yourself — not just for what you do, but for who you are. → Reach out to Parts of Us Counselling to book a session or learn more about how we support women's mental health.