From Survival to Empowerment: The Strength of Women Across Generations
Women’s Resilience and Mental Health on International Women’s Day
By Dr. Tina Dadgostari, Clinical & Forensic Psychologist
International Women’s Day is deeply meaningful to me, both personally and professionally.
As an Iranian in the diaspora, celebrating this day here, safe and free, I cannot help but think of the brave women in Iran and around the world who are still fighting for their rights, their voices, and their freedom. Their courage reminds me that resilience is real and visible. It is lived, every day, by women everywhere.
I am a clinical psychologist.
I am Iranian born.
I am a first generation Canadian.
I am a business owner.
I am a mother.
But long before I became any of those things, I was the daughter of a resilient woman.
The First Woman Who Showed Me Resilience
I was born during the Iran–Iraq War in Iran. My mother had me at a time when sirens signalled incoming bombs. She has told me stories of wrapping me tightly in blankets and running to underground shelters, never knowing what would happen next.
She was caring for an infant in the middle of war. Navigating fear, uncertainty, and danger. And still, she found ways to nurture, protect, and hope.
My mother was the first woman who showed me what resilience looks like.
Not loud.
Not performative.
But steady. Determined. Unshakeable in her love.
Shortly after I was born, we immigrated to Canada. My mother had to rebuild her life in a new language and a new culture, without the social supports she once had. And still, she persisted.
Every day she showed me what it means to move forward even when the world around you feels impossible.
When I think about women’s resilience in the face of health challenges and social barriers, I do not think first of statistics.
I think of her.
The Women We Raise
And now, I think of my daughter.
I think about the kind of world I want her to grow up in. I want her to know that strength and softness can co-exist. That vulnerability is not weakness. That her voice matters. That asking for help is powerful. That women are not meant to endure suffering silently.
As a psychologist, I see the cost when they do.
Women experience depression and anxiety disorders at nearly twice the rate of men, according to research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. One in five new mothers experiences postpartum depression. Women are more likely to experience trauma, caregiving burnout, chronic stress, and the invisible mental load that comes with holding families together.
And yet, historically, women’s health concerns have often been minimized, dismissed, or misattributed. For generations, women were labelled hysterical rather than heard. Pain was normalized. Exhaustion was expected. Emotional distress was framed as personal weakness rather than a response to systemic pressures.
Even today, women, particularly racialized women, immigrant women, and mothers, face barriers to accessing equitable mental health care. Financial barriers. Cultural stigma. Language barriers. Long waitlists. A lack of providers who truly understand their lived experience.
And yet, despite this, women continue to hold families together. They show up for their children, their partners, their parents, their workplaces, and their communities.
When You Support a Woman, You Strengthen a Community
One of the most important lessons I have learned in my clinical work is this:
When you support a woman’s mental health, you strengthen an entire ecosystem.
When a mother heals, a family shifts.
When a woman feels empowered, a community grows stronger.
When women support one another, resilience multiplies.
In 2022, Dr. Rebecca Fraccaro and I opened The Thought Centre, our women-led psychology practice. We opened our doors on International Women’s Day. That was not accidental.
That day symbolized everything I believe in.
At The Thought Centre, I work alongside an incredible team of psychologists, social workers, and psychotherapists. All women who support one another so that we can support our clients in the Richmond Hill and York Region community. We bring an anti-oppressive, strength-focused lens to the women and families we serve.
We do not start with the question:
“What is wrong with you?”
We start with something different.
“What happened to you?”
“What strengths helped you survive this far?”
“How can we reduce shame and help you thrive?”
Because resilience is not about enduring endlessly.
It is about access to resources, community, and care.
Resilience should not require suffering in silence.
When Shame Lifts
One of the most powerful shifts I see in therapy happens when a woman realizes something important.
She is not broken.
She is overwhelmed.
She is not failing.
She is carrying too much.
She is not weak.
She is tired of being strong for everyone else.
And when that shame begins to lift, something remarkable happens.
She begins to advocate for herself.
She sets boundaries.
She asks for help.
She rests.
That is not selfish.
That is revolutionary.
One Thing We Can Do Differently
On this International Women’s Day, I want to leave you with one simple and powerful action.
Normalize conversations about mental health in your home. Especially with the girls and young women who are watching you.
Let them hear you say:
“I’m struggling today.”
“I’m going to therapy.”
“I need support.”
Let them see you rest without apology.
Because when we model self-compassion, we give the next generation permission to care for themselves differently.
From Survival to Empowerment
My mother showed me resilience through survival.
I hope to show my daughter resilience through empowerment.
And my deepest hope is that in our community, we continue to build systems where women do not just survive.
They thrive.
Where access to mental health care is equitable.
Where stigma is replaced with understanding.
Where strength is not measured by silence, but by connection.
Women’s resilience strengthens families and communities not because women carry everything alone, but because when women are supported, they create ripple effects of well-being.
Today, we celebrate women.
But tomorrow, and every day after, we must continue building structures that support them.
For our mothers.
For ourselves.
For our daughters.
And for the women in Iran and around the world who are still fighting for their freedom and rights.
Their courage inspires us all.
If you are struggling with anxiety, burnout, or the mental load of caring for everyone else, support is available. Our team at The Thought Centre is here to help.