As a commonality, people often fixate on the things that they want the most, and experience the least.
Regarding equality, the women who have dedicated most of their time and strength into this perpetual movement, are often those least affected- powerful women attempting to break barriers for the minorities, who are targeted the heaviest. This creates a large distinction between “they” and “we.” In the case of “they,” women either treat the issues of gender inequality as a distant problem, one that does not affect them, or those who say, “They are oppressed, but I am not.” A more united vanguard, “we” serves as the group that sees the issue as prevalent and equally encompassing of their lives. This idea serves to unite a relatively divided group, and unite them on the notions that inequalities exist everywhere, and solidify the importance of each women recognizing her own injustices.
The question remains, when will the inflection on the “I” in “but I am not” become less harsh, or rather, when will we begin to focus less on ourselves as individuals, and see with wider eyes that “they” has to become “we?” In other words, women have to stand together, as one, outside of the arbitrary and often false distinctions on equality; furthermore, sticking together in order to break down the facets of inequality- and if this is able to happen, a revolutionary vanguard has the potential to unite. Recognition of the “we” that stems from the inequality found everywhere is crucial in order to tackle inequality in its entirety.
Robin Morgan says: “No matter how empathetic you are to another’s oppression, you become truly committed to radical change only when you realize your own oppression- it has to reach you on a gut level.” On that note, the severe gaps in equality all around the world has largely stimulated a sense of denial, in which women do not realize they are oppressed. The “they” to “we” transition is crucial towards heightening women’s self-confidence, and the acknowledgement of the discriminations they are facing.
