It’s the one day of the year I can be relied upon to post to my poor, neglected blog. International Women’s Day. Arguably the most empowering day of the year to be a woman.

But, this year I’ve struggled to find something specific to write about. Not that I’ve run out of things to say on the subject of feminism – far from it – but more because other people, other women, are already saying it. They’re saying it louder, more often, and with more conviction than I can remember hearing ever in my life before. Women whom I thought had permanent blinders glued to their faces are waking up, tearing off their sleeping masks and realising the battle for equality isn’t won. We’re not done yet. We’re just getting started.

But ladies, are we moving. Oh yes, we are.

When I first started posting on Women’s Day, there were no female superhero toys I could buy for my daughter besides vintage Barbies dressed as Wonder Woman or Batgirl (yes, she got them). But within the last two years, Superhero Girls have become dolls, action figures, they have their own lego range, book series, costumes… Then, last year, the Wonder Woman movie broke box office records all over the place, inspiring both women and girls and making me bawl like a baby for the entirety of the film. Now, Black Panther is doing it again, this time opening up the door for women of colour and absolutely smashing everything.

This stuff may seem trivial, but it has shown retailers, manufacturers, stores and Hollywood that there is money in empowering women. That means they’ll jump on it, which is a bit queasy-making, but if it means girls will see themselves as heroes instead of victims, hey, let’s use each other, shall we?

Here in Norway, people say “gratulerer med dagen” to women on the 8th of March. It’s a catchall expression used for birthdays, anniversaries, and the national day – it’s an acknowledgement of the day’s import. And it’s lovely to come to work and be greeted with congratulations by both male and female colleagues alike. There’s no rolling of eyes, no “what about International Men’s Day?” crap, no stupid trollish jokes. That means it’s become comfortable for everyone. HUGE step forward.

Of course, I still get tired and heartsore reading comments sections. I still worry about bringing up a daughter in this world. I still hear awful stories and still have awful stories of my own. But more women I know than ever before have pulled on their big girl boots and joined our ranks. And more men, too. That, in itself, is enough to give me hope.

One day, we won’t have anything new to write about on this subject. All we’ll be able to do is look back, amazed at how far we’ve come – how far we had to come – and be proud. And grateful. And relieved.

That day hasn’t come yet, but it’s closer than ever.