Sometimes, I think if I was a dude, I’d be able
to get away with just about anything. It’s a troubling thought but it’s a
reality. I’ve seen this since I was a little girl and now that I’m a grown woman,
I’m brave enough to confront it. I’m challenging the world of gender bias. I’ve had too many encounters and experiences where I’ve
been criticized, ridiculed, insulted, and even threatened for daring to take a
stand against the ugliness of it. When I experience it, witness it, or
hear stories from other women who’ve endured it, it makes my stomach turn and
what’s disturbing is, it’s becoming something more common and acceptable, which is horrifying. If a
woman sets boundaries, demands respect, takes charge, takes a stand, or voices
her opinion whether she’s home, in the public, or in many cases, a career
setting, she’s quickly labeled as…
Emotional.
Cold.
Mean.
Difficult.
Dramatic.
Unlikable.
A female dog.
But if a guy sets boundaries, demands respect, takes
charge, takes a stand, or voices his opinion
whether he’s home, in the public, or in some cases a career setting, he’s
usually praised, supported, gets a pat on the back, a promotion, a parade and
is treated like a king.
I think that’s bogus.
As a woman, I have a voice and I’m not afraid to use
it. If having boundaries, standing up for myself, having an opinion, or not
being confined to the roles of what some deem to be a traditional woman, makes others uncomfortable, then quite frankly, that’s sad. We all deserve to be respected. I believe a lot of
women shrink in fear to step forward with these issues, because they’re scared
of what people think and of the reactions they’ll get, for simply wanting to be
treated with the same respect that is generously handed over to men. I’m not a man
hater or anything like that, but to stay quiet about this is unacceptable. Whenever
I’ve been called any of the names I’ve listed (and I’ve been called those names
plenty of times… such is the case when
you take a stand) I try not to let them bother me too much. Words can hurt, but
building a strong foundation that is not shaken by the opinions of others is
something I’ve been working on. I could be quiet about gender bias, but the
thing is, I can’t afford to not speak
up. It’d cost me too much.