7.9 billion people. I know, it’s incredibly hard to even fathom. There are currently 7.9 billion people living on this Earth as you read this. Each and every one is living a different life than ours, day by day. Almost half of that number consists of women around the world. Despite different demographics, language barriers, and cultural differences, we are actually more common than you may think. How could you and I have so many things in common with over 3 billion other women?
That uneasy feeling- you know what I’m talking about
The feeling of not feeling safe. Weak knees, keys in knuckles, paranoid looks over the shoulder, a weighted pressure on the chest, butterflies (no, not the good kind).
Feeling safe should be a right for men and women around the world. So why do millions of women struggle to find that comfortable feeling regardless of where they go? Unfortunately, it’s a question that we will never be able to fully answer. The universal feeling of uneasiness and paranoia among women is oftentimes sadly looked down upon as dramatic.
As humans, we crave a feeling of comfortability and routine, whether we realize it or not. We walk down similar routes, we eat at the same places we enjoy, and we go to the same shops and bars on the weekends. Fun right? Of course, but no matter how much excitement we may feel to be living our lives, we always have what-ifs and a certain level of fear on the backburners of our brains. As women, we have tactics tattooed in our brains that have become second nature. Does pretending to not hear catcalls sound familiar? How about pretending to be on a phone call? Automatically learning all exits when entering a room? We all know that extremely common feeling.
As much as I’d love to write about a world where I can galavant around New York City at 2:00 a.m. with not a care in the world, I know that a perfect world does not exist. What does exist, however, is safety measures we can take. As women, we have strong intuitions. Always listen to your gut because chances are, it’s right. My parents always told me that “safety is in numbers.” Always travel in a pack and never leave anybody behind, no matter the circumstance. We live in the age of technology now, so send your location to somebody you trust! And what’s more obnoxious than an ear-deafening ring? Not much! I personally have an alarm on my keychain from Amazon.
Social media and stupid, ever-changing expectations
Every girl reading this probably has a social platform, whether it be Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Facebook, or TikTok. If you’re anything like me, you probably have all of them. I love social media to keep up with my family, show off my outfits, and overall stay updated with what’s going on around me.
The idea of social media is tricky though. It seems like a picture-perfect (no pun intended) way to stay involved with the surrounding world from a touch of a button, but for women, it is also the breeding ground for comparison. Women being held to a higher standard is nothing new, and it continues to get worse. I have spent hours scrolling through pages of Instagram models wondering what I could change about myself to reach the same level of perfection. Why is there a new description for the “perfect woman” every week? Blonde hair is the trend one day, while brown hair is the trend the next. Skinny bodies are considered the most beautiful one day, while bodies with curves are even more beautiful a few hours later.
We are expected to behave a certain way, adhere to the ever-changing beauty standard, while still keeping our sanity. It’s exhausting, mentally and emotionally. The sooner the world understands that photoshop is a thing, beauty isn’t why we exist, and we weren’t put on Earth to sit and look pretty, we may start to live in a more understanding place.
Exactly what they are– myths
Ever heard “It’s not your fault, men are just better drivers,” “You wouldn’t succeed in a job where you have to use your hands because you’re a girl,” or my personal favorite, “Girls are too dramatic to be in charge”? As women, we have heard these statements everywhere. Whether being belittled by the media, a boss, a coworker, a relationship partner, or just some guy you came across on the street, all of us have heard these lies.
Thankfully, we have come a long way from where women stood in the public eye years ago, but we are totally not at the finish line yet. We have to continue to challenge the world as it is, ask questions, and do whatever hell it is we want to do as women.
Many girls, myself included, easily forget how truly rewarding it is to be a woman. I have had my fair share of cramp waking mornings, only to take an Advil and ask myself the same question that I hear all of the time– “Why can’t I just be a guy?” I understand, I get it, and I hear you. Sometimes it can suck. So what is good about being a girl? We are able to be compassionate, loving humans and connect to one another on a different level. We are starting to pave a strong path in the world for ourselves, and of course, we’re hot! Some even say women live longer. We have to continue moving forward and proving ourselves to the world. Women supporting women is a hot girl movement!