SILLY LITTLE GIRL,

You can’t go play in the dirt,
You’ll ruin your pink dress.

Silly little girl,
You can’t read an adventure book,
You won’t be able to finish it.

Silly little girl,
You can’t play that sport,
You’ll ruin your pretty little face.

Silly little girl,
You can’t study philosophy,
You won’t be able to understand it.

Silly little girl,
You can’t be happy living on your own,
You won’t be able to live without a man’s help.

Silly little girl,
You can’t run for the House,
You’ll ruin your home.

Silly little girl,
You can’t make a difference,
You’ll threaten the patriarchy.

Growing up as a girl in a man's world is anything but easy. You grow up with a seemingly endless list of expectations, and they don't go away even after you "grow up." In fact, you'll probably be called a girl for the rest of your life.

Most people don't see the problem with calling a female a "girl," but there is a problem. When someone (male or female) refers to a fully grown woman as a girl, they are implying that she is a child or has childlike characteristics.

Odds are that they do this without even realize what they are doing. It has become so ingrained into our culture's language that we don't even bat an eye at the fact that we are calling a fully grown woman a child.

To put it in perspective, consider calling a respected businessman a boy. You would never do that (or I hope that you would never do that). Why then is it socially acceptable to refer to a woman as a girl?

I am not just a girl. I am a woman.

This language use may seem like a trivial thing that doesn't matter because words are just words. That just is not true. Words matter, and more importantly, the words that we use to describe something or someone are the most important. What we call women matters.

The language that we use to describe ourselves and others hold more than just a one meaning. The dictionary definition of a word is not the only thing being conveyed when you use a word. There is a connotative meaning behind every word that carries a stronger punch than you may even realize.

That is why I am not just a girl.

I am not someone who needs to be cared for. I am not weak or meek. I am a strong woman who is pursuing a career about which I am passionate. I have dreams, desires, and ambitions that I am working toward and none of them include being called a girl.

I am a woman and I demand the same respect granted to a man, and you should too.