Some people think feminism is about women burning bras and women who hate men. Nothing could be further from the truth. Feminism is about having equal rights and equal protections. It is about social justice and opportunity regardless of how many X chromosomes you have.
Strong Women
Women and men are not the same, and they never will be. That is not what drives feminism.
Physiologically, there are differences between the genders, although there are some women who are far stronger than some men and some men that are more effeminate than some women. Some women are more muscular than men, some women are more ambitious, some women are more aggressive. There is no “weaker” sex, and if you call pushing a newborn out of your vagina weak, then I would dare you to find a man that does not wince at passing a kidney stone.
The trouble is that many people think that women already have the same rights as men. They have the right to vote. Some even hold positions of power. They are CEOs, Senators, and even Supreme Court Justices. We even have Wonder Woman to look up to.
That hasn’t prevented us from hitting that glass ceiling though, being paid less for the same level of work. Studies show that female doctors earn 19% less than their male counterparts in the same specialty for the same number of work hours. Female writers earn less in the publishing industry too. It is only one example of the inequality women face.
We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.
Malala Yousafzai
May We Know Them
Many great women have paved the path for us today.
Susan B. Anthony fought for the right to vote. Mary McLeod Bethune and Coretta Scott King fought for the rights of black women. Rose Schneiderman fought to improve wages and working conditions for women. Margaret Sanger fought for accessible birth control. Authors Alice Walker, Bell Hooks, Betty Friedan, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Gloria Steinem, and Maya Angelou used the power of the written word to advocate for women. Barbara Walters broke boundaries for women in journalism, and Oprah Winfrey would later build a media empire. Actors like Angelina Jolie, Beyonce, Emma Watson, Madonna, and Tina Fey are vocal on the need for equality not only in the entertainment industry but around the world. Athletes like Serena Williams, Danica Patrick, Megan Rapinoe, Misty Copeland, and Ronda Rousey compete at levels that outlast and outperform many men in their respective fields.
Who are the strong women in your own life?
I would like to thank my mom for raising me unafraid in a poor neighborhood, my sister for fighting against the odds every day, my grandmother for being a badass nurse, and my godmother for always standing up for others. As women, we need to continue to inspire each other and to find our place in the world. We are not the only ones who feel that way.
Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.
Ruther Bader Ginsburg
May We Be Them
The strong women in my life have inspired me to be a better woman. They have taught me to persevere, to show my grit. I aspire to do more, be more, and to support other women on my journey.
Women can support each other despite the expectations that society puts on us. We don’t have to get married or have children. We can be stay-at-home moms or professional women. Who we love or what we wear is not for others to decide. We are not objects. We decide who we want to be and what we want to do.
I don’t want to be a man. I want to be a woman who has the same opportunities anyone else would have.
For that to happen, we need to work together, not against each other. We need to listen to each other when we speak out. We need to unite, not compete with each other. In a world that does not allow us the same opportunities, women too often scramble amongst themselves to reach for one of the few positions at the top. We need to let go of stereotypical gender roles and work collaboratively to break that ceiling.
When you grow up as a girl, the world tells you the things that you are supposed to be: emotional, loving, beautiful, wanted. And then when you are those things, the world tells you they are inferior: illogical, weak, vain, empty.
Stevie Nicks
May We Raise Them
We need to teach our children that the sky is the limit. There is nothing to hold them back as long as we let them believe in their gifts and talents.
One gender is not inferior to another. When we let go of that gender bias, we can be free to be ourselves. We should not fear discrimination for how we are born. We should not be coerced to conform to social norms.
Women or men, regardless of the color of their skin, the shape of their body, or their sexual orientation, all have their own individual strengths and weaknesses. When we embrace our abilities, we can contribute to society in a meaningful way. We can make the world a better place … for everyone.
We all deserve to pursue what makes us happy. Women should feel free to be independent, men free to be vulnerable, because yes, society puts unfair expectations on men too. When we drop the facade of what society expects, the pressure is off and we can finally be ourselves.
Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.
George Carlin