A bias is an inclination against an individual or thing. Implicit bias otherwise known as unconscious bias is the influence of stereotypes on automatic brain processing which usually determines how we behave. Confirmation bias is when we look for information that is only consistent with our beliefs. Prejudice is a predetermined opinion that is not dependent on reason or an actual experience. A stereotype is a human-induced belief or idea that people have that pertains to a group that is solely based on how they appear on the outside which is a form of generalization. Discrimination is the unjust treatment of different groups of people, many aspects being intersectional. Obviously, the next stereotypical statements are just a few out of the many that have been engrained about women by society, but I’ve unfortunately heard these numerous times before.
- “She’s weak”
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False. Let me stop you right there. To this day, I don’t know why women are seen to be weaker than men. I know that people assume we are more emotional, but maybe that’s because men aren’t up to our caregiver levels. Women sacrifice a lot and without us, I don’t think this world would function. It brings comfort to me that at least women can be more real when it comes to expressing how we feel instead of masking up our emotions by society. Our mood swings don’t define us either, we are strong and especially even stronger when it comes to being in labor.
- “She has no dignity”
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Many phrases like these pop up when it comes to how women make their money. If a woman wants to be in the model industry business, let her, that’s her passion, not yours. Just because she may be posting more revealing pictures to promote a specific brand says nothing about who she is as a person or how she carries herself. After all, she’s getting that bread, so why are you hating? Make it make sense. My ladies are beautiful and must be respected.
- “She doesn’t know how to be a leader”
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First of all, women can most definitely hold leadership positions. On-campus, I know many clubs including our HerCampus Chapter and other ones that I’m involved in that are led by amazing, young, and high-achieving motivated women. I don’t want to hear people say that women don’t know how to lead a team because we do and we carry it well enough to accomplish so much more that life has to offer while also being there for others.
- “She belongs at home”
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The fact that sexism is still a thing is beyond me. Gender roles have caused there to be wage gaps in the workplace as well. All because of the stereotypical gender role of a woman is to remain home to take care of chores and children. It’s the very reason behind why equity is absent in many fields dominated by men. Women do not only belong at home, they belong in the workplace too. Businesswomen exist, we can be boss babes too.
- 5. “It’s that time of the month for her” NO! YOU BETTER TAKE A SEAT, respectfully.
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I hate how just because I get easily irritated one day by someone or something, it gets labeled as my cycling month. That’s so silly and immature. This implies that we can’t express emotions of anger when we’re off our cycle. When it comes to men, we don’t go over here assuming their frustration has a root cause because of their gender. Please think before saying phrases like this, it’s very triggering and inappropriate.
Well, it sure has. Can you believe it took until 1920 to give women the right to vote in all states? Women’s right to vote is just as important as young adult citizens’ right to vote. For God’s sake, it’s the misogyny for me. Where is the equality when it comes to men and women? Why can’t society and misogynistic men let women be great? It is significantly evident that women have been marginalized to this day. I mean…after all, why do you think Women’s History Month is a recognized celebration? We don’t have a Men’s history month because their voices haven’t been historically silenced. I have to say, I’m truly grateful for the 19th Amendment and for this month.
The main takeaway here is that feminism is important, and it should be important to everybody whether you are or aren’t a part of these marginalized communities. Also, I know there are a lot of interpretations of feminism out there, but the general idea is that it’s the advocacy for equity in rights when it comes to women. So no, it’s not that women are above men or that women are more important, it’s breaking that barrier between the sexes that has prevented women from excelling in society. Our rights should be in unity, and not division. I hope that the future generations don’t experience the life of being a part of a marginalized community, I would never wish that one anyone. I believe that we all have the capacity to unlearn any patterns or prejudice that we have been taught, this would give us the strength to understand one another on a personal level and be able to empathize together. I always keep this broken world in my prayers and pray that we open our eyes, ears, minds, hearts, and arms because it’s so important.
It is our duty to not have biases because they prevent us from connecting with people of different backgrounds
which we can all learn from. When we open our minds, we gain knowledge and comprehension
from listening to one another. Shoutout to all my ladies who are: thriving, politicians, activists, advocates, supporters, mothers, students, authority figures, publishers, authors, managers, etc. You name it, WE LOVE OUR WOMEN AND WE STAND FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT! The best thing about being a woman in today’s world is that women’s empowerment is always there within the community.
For anyone reading, I’d like for you to look at the true definition of feminism and understand why people are feminists, try to understand where they’re coming from, and push aside those stereotypes and biases. Learning starts with you. Reading that book or article and doing that research one your own, is one step forward. I know that being a part of a marginalized group is tough because I am one of those marginalized voices. But, just because I’m looked down on, doesn’t mean I have to stay silent, feel inferior, remain stagnant or lower my standards for anybody. I’m choosing to learn and to be great because I have every right to and no one can take
that away from me. For all of the marginalized voices- don’t let society fool you. For all of the
women- don’t let men think less of you. Everyone has potential and deserves to find their purpose in life without being frowned upon by the world. Everyone in this world should be rooting for one another. Change and impact start when we decide to take that step forward. Speak up and don’t be ashamed of it because there’s always somebody who’s going through something similar, you are never alone in this. Be you unapologetically, and be firm in what you stand for.