Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey on Women's Freedom and Solidarity

Dr. Elena Janssen · 2026-03-17

### A Friendship That Shaped a Lifetime Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey recently shared a powerful reflection for International Women's Day. It wasn't just a standard message. It was a deeply personal story that goes back decades, to a summer friendship that changed how she sees freedom, agency, and the bonds between women. She wrote about meeting a 15-year-old Iranian girl she calls "Aisha" in 1978. They were both at a language program in the United States. Aisha had been sent away from Iran with her brother because her parents feared it was no longer safe. Can you imagine being 15 and having to leave your home like that? ### Finding Common Ground Across Cultures Over those summer weeks, two teenagers from completely different worlds formed an unlikely bond. They explored each other's cultures, shared their dreams, and discovered they had more in common than they ever imagined. Here's what Dr. Bisbey remembers most about their conversations: - They were both raised by mothers who taught them women were equal to men. - They were both encouraged to pursue their dreams without limits. - They both believed that freedom to choose was what made life worth living. "We grew up as young women taught by our mothers that women were the equal of men, that women could do anything," Bisbey recalled. "We both valued freedom. The freedom to choose, the agency to choose, as most important and what made life worth living." ### A Memory Reawakened by Global Events That memory came rushing back to Dr. Bisbey decades later. It happened when protests erupted in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini. Watching women lead a global movement for autonomy and dignity, she couldn't help but think of her teenage friend. It made her reflect on how fragile those freedoms they once spoke about can be. In many parts of the world, the right to choose how to live remains a daily struggle. "On this International Women's Day, I dance with the Iranian women who are reclaiming their agency, their right to choose," Bisbey said. "I dance with those who fight for everyone's right to live the way that they wish to live." ### Honoring the Women Who Came Before The reflection didn't stop with her friend Aisha. It led Dr. Bisbey to think about all the women who shaped her own path. She remembered her grandmother's quiet resilience, her mother's strength and intelligence, and the generations of women whose courage made her own freedom possible. It's a chain of solidarity, really. Each generation standing on the shoulders of the one before, fighting for a little more space, a little more choice, a little more agency. ### What This Means for Us Today So what do we take from this personal story? It reminds us that international solidarity isn't just a political concept. It's personal. It's about recognizing our shared struggles and celebrating our shared victories. It's about understanding that when women anywhere fight for their freedom, they're fighting for all of us. Their courage creates ripples that reach across oceans and decades. Dr. Bisbey's reflection serves as a powerful reminder this International Women's Day. Our freedoms are interconnected. The fight for agency and dignity continues, and it's a fight worth having every single day.