7 Ways To Truly Embrace Your Sexuality On International Women's Day

Of course, sex toys aren't for everyone, but if you've always wanted to try one — or are in need of a new one — it's the perfect time to go shopping and pick out something special for yourself. "Whether you are buying online or going to a store, I think finding a place that makes you feel comfortable is so important," Forbes says. "This way you will feel empowered to ask questions and likely learn things you didn’t even know to ask. Some great retailers like Babeland as specifically geared toward providing a female-friendly environment. And remember there is no right way to experience pleasure, everyone’s body is different. The vibrator your best friend loves might not be the one that works best for you."

Although when we think of gender inequality, we think of the gender pay gap, as well as other areas where things are far from equal, we tend to forget that there's still a gap in our sex lives too — the orgasm gap.

"In heterosexual partnerships, the fact is that men have more orgasms than women," Tristan Weedmark, We-Vibe's Global Passion Ambassador, tells Bustle. "To be clear, this gap is not women’s fault, nor does the blame land with men. Rather, female sexual anatomy, the clitoris in particular, is not ideally positioned for stimulation during penetrative sex. That, coupled with a communication breakdown when it comes to pleasure, leads to the infamous orgasm gap."

So if you're having sex this International Women's Day, take a page from Nicki Minaj and fight for that climax. After all, fair is fair.

Not only does it feel amazing, have health benefits, and teach you what you like in bed, but masturbation is a wonderful way to embrace your sexuality. Today, make sure you're prioritizing your self-pleasure.

When you think about it, your body is an amazing machine. Not just in the way it moves, but in how it responds, what it remembers, and what it can experience.

"I believe when a woman celebrates her sexuality it would be about respecting her body and treating it like a temple, she is the Goddess," Dr. Dawn Michael, certified clinical sexologist, sexuality counselor, and author of My Husband Wont Have Sex With Me tells Bustle. "When she decides to share it with someone else or even herself she finds pleasure in what she is doing. She is not embracing it to please someone else or even society, but for herself."

"As a 'curator of sex,' it is impossible for me not to see female empowerment and sexuality as importantly linked," says Forbes. "Yet what this means and what this version of empowerment looks like will likely be different for each of us — having that very power to express our sexuality in our own unique manner on our own terms is something to be celebrated as a marker of progress. It may be Valentine's Day that is marketed to us as a sexy holiday, but I know more than a few women that feel their sexiest when feeling empowered and celebrated."

It's truly empowering to embrace our sexuality. As Forbes points out, that may mean completely different things for different people, so it's our job to find out what that means for us and just go with it. Not just on International Women's Day, but every day.

You don't need to listen to the 1990s classic, "Let's Talk About Sex," by Salt-N-Pepa to realize that talking about sex is really important. It's important to talk about not just with your sexual partners, but with your friends, too. Every time we say the word "sex" we're kicking down one more door that stands in the way of sex being completely and totally free of taboos.

"It is absolutely normal to talk about your sex life with your best friend," Rena McDaniel, M.Ed., clinical sexologist, tells Bustle. "There are still some cultural taboos about being open with friends about your sex life, particularly for women. But talking about sex to your friends is a great way to de-stigmatize a normal and healthy part of life and shift the conversation about sex from dirty to empowering."

If you already consider yourself to be a sex-positive person, then take International Women's Day as the opportunity to be even more sex-positive — as in extra sex positive. How does one do that? By realizing that there are many facets to sex positivity that extend far behind just the act of sex.

"Sex positivity is about so much more than the act of sex," says Forbes, "and so much about how we see ourselves, our bodies, our worth, our power, and our equality."

No matter how you choose to celebrate International Women's Day, don't forget to celebrate the sexual aspects to it. Women have come a long way in letting the world know we're sexual beings, but that doesn't mean we don't have further to go.