My dear friends, today is March 8 - International Women's Day, which is considered the most tender and spring holiday in honor of the beautiful half of humanity - us women. In Ukraine, this holiday has a special meaning and occupies an important place in our culture.

Every year, on this day, we celebrate our struggle for equality, strength and the protection of women's rights. Despite the fact that the celebration of March 8 began at the beginning of the 20th century in the USA and Europe, in Ukraine this day became especially significant after we gained independence in 1991.

Today, almost 70% of Ukrainians plan to celebrate March 8, and this is not surprising. In recent years, Ukrainian women have come a long way in fighting for their rights and achieving equality with men.

It is important to understand that this holiday is not only flowers and congratulations, it is a symbol of our struggle for freedom and equality, for the respect and dignity of every woman. We must remember that behind this holiday there are more than one century of struggle, strength and protection of women's rights.

I would like to encourage each of you not only to celebrate this day, but also to remember that we can be strong and worthy, we can be anyone and do whatever we want. Let's continue to fight for our rights and dreams so that the life of every woman in Ukraine is full of freedom and equality.

I congratulate you, my dears, on our holiday! May every day be filled with joy, happiness and love!