What Does It Mean To Be A "Strong Woman?"

"Strong Woman."

A phrase I'm pretty sure every woman has heard in their life. A term that every woman wants to be. And a term that is used to demean other women.

But what exactly does it mean? What's the dictionary definition of "strong woman?" How can you tell if a woman is "strong" or not?

I've been thinking about this for a while now.

Interestingly, it all started with reality TV.

I'm a huge fan of Survivor and Big Brother, and I've noticed that a lot of the fans would use this.

One of my favorite posts on Tumblr is this photoset of several of Survivor's female winners.

In recent years, I've also noticed people wanting more "strong woman" on reality TV, and this statement is usually a response to the current female cast members of a show.

I've usually used this term being used to disparage women who are more sensitive and tend to cry more. Or a woman who is shy and reserved. Or a woman who is risk-averse. Or a woman who works with at least one man.

And I don't get it.

We don't say this about men. All men are just expected to be strong.

I know this might sound cheesy, but I believe every woman is a strong woman.

It doesn't matter what our personalities are, what our comfort zones and boundaries are, how emotional we are, or what decisions we make.

Every woman has to walk our own path, and every woman is strong for that.

So stop calling women weak.

All women are strong.