I recently had a friend tell me that her parents had went through some sort of transition, in which they subtly attempted to "prep" her to have a romantic relationship. They had made comments about how she should always dress nicely, do her makeup and her hair, and even how she could take off some weight to "take better care" of herself.

This made me think of my own situation at home, which, after contemplating it, seemed quite similar. It seemed that both our parents, some time after we began to transition into adulthood, morphed into life coaches with the sole purpose of conditioning our outward, physical appearances. When confronted, my friend and I both had strikingly similar results: our parents told us that it was only coming from a place of love. As it turns out, whether or not that may be true, it also seems to come from a place of engrained sexism.

I'm not personally one to look into every crevice of society and find something sexist or offensive in it; but this act of preparing a girl, just turned a woman, for mating is screaming double standard.

It's no secret that women are held up to a far different standard than any man is, and our parents are subconsciously holding us captive in a role we so desperately want to escape. Whether they just want our happiness, or they simply want to carry on their family name through grandchildren, it's something that is permanently damaging girls' psyches and self esteem; it probably dates back to a time during the Middle Ages when girls were sold with a dowry of riches, essentially making them yet a another possession sold to a man. In today's world, however, women are no longer objects, yet we're still constantly fighting to be recognized as equal human beings. It's as if we're fighting for our own bodies.

The face of America is making leaps and bounds in an attempt to (at least partially) overthrow the reign of beauty standards that dominate our culture, and ultimately shape how we live our lives. In recent years, hundreds of campaigns have popped up across the country promoting a healthier image, complete with ads featuring bodies of all types (such as Dove's "Love Your Body" campaign or Aerie's stance against photoshopped underwear models.) "Plus sized" models have been incorporated into the world of fashion and modeling, including figures like Ashely Graham and Denise Bidot. But is this enough?

In light of the most recent sexual assault case, involving the Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, it's made even clearer that America isn't ready to accept the idea of gender equality. And if our people can't wholeheartedly support this at its core, nothing will change despite everything social media is doing to spread more positive vibes. Magazines read by millions still promote quick diet fixes to achieve unrealistic results, articles on how to get a desired bikini body, and tips on how to please a man. Catwalks all around the world flaunt bodies of an almost unachievable nature to market products meant for the consumer population.

This being said, all of these models and actresses and singers with unrealistic bodies need to be celebrated as well, not just used as an excuse to change the industry. Any woman who loves her body and treats it the way it deserves should be branded as having the "perfect" body. Everything that promotes only one way to be physically desirable is inaccurate, and it's chipping away at the act of self-love.

Change won't happen overnight. Yet, as each new generation emerges — each more informed and evolved than the last — perhaps mankind's worldview will also improve, and will finally be broad enough to encompass not just all women, but every person who struggles to find themselves to be perfect the way they are.