It means having your body policed. It means obsessing over
your appearance because that is how you are unjustly and unrealistically
judged. It means facing age discrimination because society believes that women just grow old while men get better with age. It means being called a "spinster" or "crazy cat lady" when you're an unwed and child-free woman of a certain age. It means fearing for your life when you’re walking home alone,
especially at night. It means dreading the reactions you’ll receive when rejecting
society’s idea of the “traditional family.” It means facing criticism when sharing
your desire to opt out of marriage and/or having children. It sometimes means feeling
guilty about wanting to focus on your profession or juggle motherhood and a
career. It means constantly being under society’s microscope. It means
experiencing shame when you display emotions. It means getting slut shamed for
embracing your sexuality and having amazing, consensual sex with whomever you
want. For women in Saudi Arabia, it means facing punishment for speaking to male
strangers or needing permission from a male guardian to leave an abusive
relationship. For women in countries such as Africa, the Middle East, and Asia,
it means having your human rights violated through the process of female
genital mutilation. It means being at a higher risk of becoming a victim of domestic
abuse and fearing that no one will believe your trauma. It also means
possessing incredible strength in the face of adversity. It means having the
power to influence a generation of women and girls to love and uplift one
another. It means educating the masses on the beauty and plight of womanhood.
It means accepting women of all backgrounds and lifestyles into your home and
heart. It means dressing down or dressing up. It means wearing makeup to
enhance your allure, going au naturel, or switching it up. It means decorating
your nails. It means changing your hair. It means nurturing people and things. It
means using your voice as a vehicle for change. It means having range. Not all
women can be who they wish to be, but they should. This poses a threat to women worldwide, INCLUDING LGBTQ women. Love and respect women and not just women you're attracted to.
Here are a few links about FGM, violence against women, violence against trans people, and the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia:
No comments:
Post a Comment