Can we Redefine the Definition of a Woman?

The emancipation of girls and women is a rallying cry, opposing the societal conservatism that impedes on the rights of women.

It is, however, still devastating to me that as a woman, I really can’t share my opinion truthfully and openly concerning the issues I feel are a bottleneck to my wellbeing.

It’s so hard to substantiate my case further without accusations levelled against me that I am being emotional, angry and inconsiderate.

Social construction has been unfavourable to women over the years in such a way that we spend our girlhoods being fed with ideologies that glorify silence as the best option for us. If someone steps on your toes, society expects you not to respond because ‘good women don’t fight back’. This is a senseless dogma which perplexes me –  how long should women remain silent, allow themselves to be walked over and continue to be subjugated?

“Women are supposed to be feminine, soft and less aggressive,” people tell me! This is a fallacy, and doesn’t come anywhere near how I see the definition of a woman.

Melinda Gates has noted that “a woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman.” For me, this quote summarizes what it means to be a woman.

To be a woman does not mean that you are a doormat everyone can tread all over. Being a woman means you can be as aggressive as you want, speak as loudly as you want, fight for what is right, show all of the tendencies associated with masculinity – and still be a woman.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once stated: “of course I’m not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.” As women, we need to build one another up so that we can navigate and eradicate powerful ideologies of male chauvinism.

If a woman stands for something and commits her mind to it, she has no time for negativity or what society will think about her actions. Today, in the 21st century, a woman can be a trend-setter and a policy maker. A woman doesn’t condone the ‘pull her down’ mentality, instead she pulls other women up. A woman assures other women that there’s room for them too at the top. That is the definition of a woman!