Being a woman is one of the best things in the world, especially today. It's empowering, invigorating and inspiring. Recent world events have inspired women to join together and fight for their rights and for what they believe in, and that's absolutely incredible. We've enjoyed more freedom than ever before and we're in the middle of the revival of the feminist movement, something that I strongly support. There's also a new sense of community and bonding with the Me Too Movement and female empowerment. It's an electrifying time. That being said, that are a few issues that I have some strong opinions about relating to women: sexual harassment/assault, abortion, and equality.
I think what sucks the most about being a woman is the sexual harassment and assault. Personally, I haven't experienced it to the extent that many women I know have. The one event that I can think of where I could be considered to have been sexually harassed was when I was in New York. It was a warm day, but I was still in long thin pants and a non-revealing T-shirt. My friend and I walked past a group of men who were standing on the outskirts of the park and they whistled and said, "Where are you rushing off to, sweetheart?"
Now, I'm not entirely sure that my friend heard it and I'm not entirely sure if it was directed at us, but either way, it didn't make me feel good. I felt objectified and uncomfortable, something that shouldn't happen when I'm just trying to enjoy a day in the city with one of my good friends.
I know that there are thousands of women out there who have gone through much worse (I can already think of a few off the top of my head), and luckily, it's something that is finally changing and being spoken about. I feel like it's extremely important to bring issues like this to light because it's something that happens every day and it's been happening for decades. Now we can do everything we can to prevent it from happening to anyone else and it's no longer something that institutions can simply sweep under the rug.
Something else that really bothers me relating to women in today's society is the fact that lawmakers are making decisions about women's bodies and what they do with them, specifically abortion. Personally, I believe that abortion should be legal. It's a woman's choice to do what she wants with her body and each case has its own circumstances to make decisions around.
For example, if I was sexually assaulted and end up pregnant, I feel like I wouldn't want to keep the baby because it would be a constant reminder of the event. But who knows, maybe I would want to keep the baby. Either way, I would want it to be my own decision, not a decision made by a court or senators or representatives who don't have a clue about what happened and the trauma it may have caused me. Especially if they're men. Men don't know what it's like to have their period or push a baby out, so I feel like they shouldn't have a say about what women do with their bodies especially when it comes to that specific part of their body. If it's safe for the mother to get an abortion and she wants to get one, then she should be able to get one.
By making abortion completely legal, you aren't taking away options, you're leaving them on the table for the mother to choose from.
Another large issue is equality. No longer are we subservient to men, but we are still in some ways considered "less" than they are and underrepresented. There's still a wage gap and many times men are given positions in companies even though women are just as qualified as they are. You can see it in high powered positions in different companies and in a lot of movies, although that is starting to change with movies like "Wonder Woman" that set females as a leading role that isn't a damsel in distress.
My identity is everything to me and being a woman is a large part of my identity. When I think of women, I think of someone who is independent, empowering, positive, strong, badass, self-reliant and kick ass.
I think of a hero.
We have come a long way. From helping slaves escape to creating the first computer, women have accomplished some absolutely incredible things and that is something to be proud of.
