Good day readers, followers and lurkers!
With it being Friday, you must be expecting a rant or some sort of hate speech, but not today. This is a tribute to women (with it being woman’s month). Women who have changed the world and made it a lot more comfortable and fun for us to live in. This is for the women who were able to find their voice in a time when we were not allowed to have one. (It is a bit long, push through!)
This is for you, Queen Elizabeth I, Marie Curie, Diana Princess of Wales, Joan of Arc, Emmeline Pankhurst, Benazir Bhutto, Oprah, Jane Austen, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Diana Vreeland, Coco Chanel, Cleopatra, Florence Nightingale, Anne Frank, single moms, women who have been cheated on, homemakers, mothers, police women, teachers, politicians, domestic workers, nannies and activists. This is for my mother, my grandmother, my aunties, my cousins, my nieces and my besties. This is for all women. (If you have no idea who some of these women are then you should do some research)
This is most especially for Leila Djabali, an activist who was imprisoned during the Algerian Revolution; she was raped and abused verbally and physically. She inspired me to write this and be a little feminist; as well as the 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on the 9th of August in 1956.
All these women have something in common; they have encouraged us to develop a community of confident and radical women. I am so grateful for these women. Each of them went on difficult and devastating journeys so that we could have rights, have a voice and be free. Over hundreds of years, women have made tremendous progress; we have evolved from a submissive bunch of fools who were obsessed with marriage and status to a new and strong breed of women who are able to depend solely upon ourselves.
It is essential for us to stand up for what we believe in. Whether it may be trivial or something of severe significance; it is of great importance. We carry life, give life, nurture, and raise and love endlessly. So as a collective group of social beings, what we consider as imperative in terms of our social growth is of extreme importance to society as a whole.
Time has changed the way things work a great deal, but life hasn’t improved for all women. This is the reason why we need to unite. We all have a sense of masculinity within us, we must own it and empower society. (It is perfectly okay to display a sense of masculinity, but it doesn’t mean that we should behave like men) We may have more rights than we ever did, but we are oppressed daily. We are oppressed by stereotypes; that we are not strong enough, bold enough or brave enough; that we are not capable of having the same success as men. Well, now it is possible. We can do whatever we want. All we have to do is study, be assertive and confident and take what you want from life.
“Feminism signals a refusal of oppression and a commitment to struggling for women’s liberation from all forms of oppression – internal, external, psychological and emotional, socio-economic, political and philosophical” – Amina Mama
Yes, sometimes feminists can take it a step too far. Hairy armpits and legs are completely unacceptable, but I admire them for never ever ever ever conforming to the social expectations of how women should appear or behave. We could judge them all we want, but some of us are not brave or confident enough to do what they do.
There is something I want to say about how we treat ourselves and each other. Self-respect is a term that you should be very familiar with. You should own it. It is vital for your survival in this cold world. Respect. Your. Self. Let us not be “side-chicks” or mistresses. Your heart should be his everything; what he clings to. So, we deserve to be more than an afterthought and a last priority. It is important for us as highly emotional beings to always allow our intellect and intelligence to take precedence over our emotions. I’m sure you’ve realised that our emotions cause us to act irrationally and illogically, leading us to be perceived as psychotic and unattractive. We really need to support each other. We should continually encourage and motivate each other to be better and do better. Let’s stop referring to one another as bitches, skanks and sluts. Stop trying to steal affection from your friend’s boyfriend. Let’s be feminists? But only to the degree where we are self-empowered and independent individuals. Don’t allow anyone to buy your affection. You are capable of buying your own things. Hard work is exhausting, but it feels much better when you are able to support yourself and buy yourself Chanel things.
It is our responsibility to correct the problems that were created by the generations before us. We can only do so by getting an education. I’m pretty sure receiving an education is a basic human right. It may be boring at times, but one of the greatest men who ever lived said something very profound. “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” Yeah, it is much easier said than done, but Nelson Mandela literally turned things around for our nation. We don’t even have to do jail time to make a change. All we need is determination and initiative.
Let’s raise our sons to respect and empower women. Let’s raise smart, strong and independent daughters. Let’s stand up for each other and for what we believe in. Coco Chanel built an empire. Rosa Parks stood up for something when no one else would. Joan of Arc fought in wars with men. We can do great things too; we have more resources than they did. So what’s stopping us? Let’s be Rosa’s, Coco’s and Joan’s. We can be Queens. No woman, teenager, child, or baby should be raped or killed or verbally and physically abused. We’re stronger and better than before. We are living in a daily struggle. We are competing for jobs and pay cheques. We need to dig deep and push everyday, to be seen as more than what stereotypes have made us.
Ps. Be great, do great things, believe in yourself always.
In the words of Beyoncé:
“Some of them men think they freak this like we do
But no they don’t
Make your check come at their neck
Disrespect us no they won’t!
……
Who run the world? GIRLS!”
(Mom if you’re reading this, thank you for giving me an education, I’m gonna change the world.)
Caelo Doesn't Care 