About as many people believe there is a war on women as there are people who believe women are fine. Today, there are intense political rivalries over the rights and privileges of women, ranging from the wage gap, to rape culture, and discrimination. I, for one, am a firm believer in the power of women in many different ways: politically, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Women throughout history have been innovators, inventors, important mothers, peacekeepers, diplomats, artists, scientists, and engineers and have contributed to society in a multitude of different ways. Women have capabilities that put them above the rest, no matter their disadvantages.

So why are women still fighting for their rights? What other arguments could be made that they are at a disadvantage? What keeps them in a disadvantaged state? The short answer: pettiness and shade.

Recently, there has been a rise in female empowerment amongst the gender. However, the internal distrust and shadiness we as women have for one another and for the world, continues to portray the belief that women are “feeble” and “simple.”

Many people (albeit, conservative, old, white men) believe the reason women cannot be great scientists or businesswomen or politicians is based on the fact that women are more “emotionally-driven.” Because of women’s inclinations to “go crazy,” they can be seen as people who will not be taken seriously.

Obviously, asking women to completely turn off their feelings is impossible. But women can easily put themselves in a better position of respect if they just stopped with the pettiness and the shade.

Take for example the recent and controversial song and video released by Taylor Swift. On one hand, many people saw the song and video as a “screw you" to Kanye, by shadily releasing the song on the 10^th anniversary of his mother’s death, as well as taking a jab at Kim Kardashian’s burglary. On the other hand, people believe Taylor’s video is a metaphorical representation of some of the things said about her in the past.

Regardless of what you believe, Taylor’s time in the spotlight has been filled with drama, scandals, and covert gossip with old boyfriends, old friends, and acquaintances. At this point, not many people truly take her serious, as an artist or as a person.

Had Taylor, throughout her career, played things out in person rather than through social media, or media in general, and kept any indication of pettiness or “fakeness” hidden, the quality of her work and life would be considered more professional and legit.

Another example would be Hilary Clinton. Against all odds, Hilary Clinton has reached very impressive positions in American history and, quite frankly, had a very real chance of being president.

However, her career has been marked by hypocritical speeches and poor decision making, like the Ben Ghazi scandal. Had Hilary Clinton been upfront about her past and her career choices and political moves, more Americans would have been more persuaded to vote for her as president.

To an extent, this article and this opinion portrays me in an almost anti-feminist light. And to an extent, it is true: I am holding women to a different standard then men. After all, men can be petty and shady, too. But the fact of the matter is, women are held to a higher standard than men, especially when it comes to respect and sincerity.

And while many people continue to fight for the normality of emotional standards that men and women both need to be held to, there seems to be no change in the future. The best way to be taken seriously and respected in your craft, career, and life is to put away the pettiness and the shade and be real. There is no greater way to be respected than being real.