"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

So begins Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," a literary work of such astounding merit that it has remained relevant within the global community since its publication in 1813. While the novel itself is most notably remembered for its portrayal of the tumultuous romantic relationship between the witty protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, and the standoffish Mr. Darcy, its overall significance truly lies in its status as a satirical social commentary. From the very first lines of "Pride and Prejudice," Austen draws our attention to the status of women as prizes to be won, as things (not human beings) for men to showcase to the world. As one might expect by virtue of Austen's biting description, neither love nor happiness motivates the "single man in possession of a good fortune" to pursue a relationship with a woman; instead, he is drawn to the potential social status that having a trophy wife on his arm might secure him in his interactions with others. It doesn't matter who the woman is so long as she is physically attractive and will silently accompany him to social gatherings, giggling mindlessly at the appropriate time and speaking only when spoken to.

Of course, it has been two hundred and three years since the publication of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," and in that time, society has witnessed an explosion of innovative progress that has transformed the ways in which we understand the world. Authors have written novels and plays, such as Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and Henrik Ibsen's "The Doll House," that have forced us to reconsider the social implications of our own actions. Litigators and politicians have advocated for the oppressed and have (albeit not wholly successfully) attempted to promote realized equality in our nation, going so far as to push for amendments in the United States Constitution. Scientists and innovators have made countless discoveries that have improved our comprehension and standards of life: vaccinations for diseases like polio, molecular DNA, the telephone, the light bulb, computers, iPhones, and the list goes on. Hell, we even managed to put a man on the moon.

But still, still, women -- despite contributing to this transformation, despite engaging in social development, despite working just as hard as men -- are being objectified, commodified, told that they are of a lesser status than men. How do I know? Take, for example, the classic example of the average white woman's salary compared to her male counterpart; she makes 77 cents to every dollar he makes in spite of working equal amounts. Of course, that's just one small example. We could also consider the fact that women, on the whole, are significantly less present in the STEM fields because they've internalized messages from the media, their teachers, their communities, that they're bad at math -- or, better yet, that boys are bound to outperform them -- when there is no natural reason for this (American Friends of Tel Aviv University 2015). For those women who do pursue a career in STEM, impostor syndrome -- that is, the belief that their achievements should be attributed to luck and not intelligence -- flourishes. We could consider the fact that women, from as early as high school, consider the ways in which they could potentially balance home life with careers, whereas boys of the same age are solely focused on their goals for work (Archer 1987). That means that girls, from a young age, have ingrained within them the notion that they are to be the homemaker, that they are to be the ones who take care of the children, that they have to figure it out. Then, of course, you have the recent Stanford rape case, the issue which truly motivated this article, in which a young woman was essentially told that her being, her humanity, her essence could be reduced to her embodied form, that another human being could look at her and take advantage of her in any way he wanted, and to make matters worse, he would hardly be punished for it.

What, then, does it mean to be a woman in American society? What does it mean to be allowed to enter the workforce, to vote, to be a contributing member of society, but to still be denied a level of connection to your own humanity?

As a 19-year-old college student, I would be lying if I said I had an answer. It has puzzled feminists for years and years, and no doubt, it will puzzle feminists for many years to come. Social progress is undoubtedly slow, and it will take time before women can actually achieve fully realized equality in the United States of America, no matter what is signed off in law. And, because the experience of women of color, for example, varies so tremendously from that of white women, we cannot truthfully rest until we achieve both a celebration and inclusion, and not a hatred or fear of difference, one that genuinely grants change -- meaningful change, that is -- for all women.

But, in my 19 years on this planet, here's what I have come to understand: Being a woman does not encroach upon your ability to do amazing things. Being a woman means making independent choices about what you do, what path you pursue, and how you want to do it. Being a woman means that you are just as worthwhile, just as driven, just as strong -- if not stronger -- than any man, and that you have the capabilities to wholeheartedly impact the world community in the exact same way. Being a woman means being a human being. And while our society might prove its reluctance to accept that humanity, it is a truth of such paramount significance that it must be acknowledged. It is therefore imperative that our society not only stops dehumanizing women by objectifying them, but that it also comes to respect them; to treat them as they deserve to be treated; to make equality between all people in light of their differences a "truth universally acknowledged."