The Common Thread

A couple of years ago, I sat on a panel with six other absolutely amazing women.

Though our stories were diverse, we all had one powerful common thread: we were women who had overcome great barriers of adversity to become triumphant in our own right. The theme of resilience, strength, and sisterhood ran through every conversation like a golden thread.

But there’s something else that stood out to me—not softly, but glaringly… like a sore thumb.

I won’t say it was 100% because not every woman shared it out loud, but among the seven of us, at least 60% had abuse—many of us sexual abuse—woven into the fabric of our past.

And the data confirms this isn’t coincidence.

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 5 women have experienced completed or attempted rape, and 1 in 4 women have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner.

Which means this: If we represented the room that day, and the room held 50 women, at least 30 of them likely carried the same pain in silence.

And that silence is not rare. Fewer than 40% of women who experience sexual violence ever report it. Many never name it—not because it didn’t matter, but because they were taught to survive it quietly.

Let that settle.

This is the common thread of pain so many women share, but rarely speak of.

And yet, even in the shadows of that pain, something powerful happens when women come together to empower each other instead of compete, compare, or condemn.

What Happens When Women Empower Women

1. Increased Confidence

We begin to believe again. In ourselves. In our calling. In what’s possible beyond the pain. Empowerment births confidence—and confidence breathes life into dreams.

2. A Strong Support Network

There’s power in the sisterhood. Research consistently shows that women with strong social support experience better mental health outcomes and greater resilience after trauma. We help each other navigate grief, raise children, launch businesses, and rebuild broken pieces—not just with words, but with presence.

3. The Breaking of Stereotypes

Together, we dismantle the lies. The ones that say we’re too emotional, too broken, too loud, too much, or not enough. Statistics remind us that abuse does not discriminate by education, income, faith, or leadership. It touches women in every room—including the rooms where success lives.

4. Collective Success

We don’t just win alone—we rise together. When one woman wins, it creates a ripple. That’s what collective success looks like: I see you. I celebrate you. I lift with you.

5. Mentorship and Growth

Empowered women don’t gatekeep. We mentor, pour into, and guide. We share the roadmaps we had to draw ourselves so someone else’s journey is smoother—especially for the 1 in 4 girls who experience sexual abuse before the age of 18 and grow up needing models of safety, strength, and self-worth.

6. Advocacy and Real Change

Our united voices shake systems. Whether it’s policy, protection, or pay equity, empowered women don’t just hope for change—we create it. History shows that many survivor-centered laws and protections exist because women refused to stay silent together.

7. Diverse Perspectives Flourish

When we empower each other, we don’t all have to sound the same. Healing is not one-size-fits-all. We make space for new ideas, innovation, and creativity that only emerges when women are allowed to bring their whole selves into the room.

8. Healthier Communities

An empowered woman pours into her home, her children, her business, and her community. Studies consistently show that when women heal, families stabilize, communities strengthen, and future generations benefit.

In Essence…

When women empower each other, we create a ripple effect that extends beyond ourselves. We begin healing what once felt hopeless. We restore voices that had been silenced. We confront pain with purpose.

And we prove—time and time again—that what tried to break us only built us.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, unheard, or unworthy… let this be your reminder:

There is a community of women rising, and there is room for you too.

Let’s keep pulling each other forward.

Let’s turn the common thread of pain into a powerful fabric of purpose.