Frida Kahlo mural, Mexico

© Jessica Sample/Gallery Stoc

International Women's Day. Celebrating the strength of a woman

In 1925, the 18-year-old Frida, who dreamt of becoming a doctor, was seriously injured in a bus accident. Her spine and legs were severely damaged and Frida was forced to remain bedridden for many months. To escape the torment and despair of her condition, the woman who dreamed of dedicating her life to care, escaped her suffering through art. As she was almost unable to move for many months, her parents installed a mirror above her bed and had a custom-made easel. And so, Frida painted. Of her 150 paintings, 55 are self-portraits, illustrating her unimaginable physical and mental pain, the Mexican identity she knew to be the salvation of a country divided for so long, and her status as a woman. These include "The Broken Column," "The Henri Ford Hospital or The Flying Bed," "Self-Portrait With Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird," and the famous "Self-Portrait in A Velvet Dress."

Today we celebrate International Women's Day, which we have chosen to illustrate with this mural of Frida Kahlo, painted on the front of an apartment building in Mexico City. This year, the theme is #ChooseToChallenge. The call to action is to challenge inequality, question stereotypes and call out bias to make the world around us an inclusive place.