Brooke Hale - What is it like to be a woman?

Question Everything: What is it like to be a woman?

For the beginning of history women philosophers had been silenced. Ignored and discarded; was the reality for most women across the world. Women’s findings had not been contributed to the development of the philosophical industry. When women’s contributions were finally discovered, they could read and be read. The world has advanced far beyond that old existence that once suppressed women’s lives. Although the improvement is notably significant, the world is still not fixed. The reality for women is the realization that you do not run the world. The world will run you.

Power and authority have just now been an actuality for women, but the fight cannot be over. Biblically and politically women have been suppressed and silenced. Within many traditional religions the Bible has discarded women as simple household figures. Jesus spoke “Go and make disciplines of all nations.” How can one speak this truth then remove their voice where it really matters? It is preached in many denominations; the Bible prohibits women from becoming preachers or pastors. Women are restricted to stand upon a stage and speak to the masses. Women are forced to deal with smaller roles. The Bible claims women are not allowed to be a form of leadership, prohibiting female leadership. Women are casted upon the responsibility of the children and women groups. Politically, congress was built as a representation of the American people. Congress should reflect what the American people look like. The United States is made up of 50.24 percent male compared to the 49.76 percent female. The senate only sits 27.9 percent of women, and the house only sits 29.2 percent. Out of the 10,506 seats that have been held in the house only 378 of them are women. That is less than 4 percent of the overall house seats. The movement has started; 178 of the seats are being currently held. Although, the fight has just begun. The same congress which decides important female issues is falsely represented within the American government. The time has come for equality to become reality. 

The book tackles the question, what defines a woman? The question mostly focuses on the inclusivity of being a woman; can trans women be defined as women? There is not one experience every woman faces that can be defined being a woman. In an interview featuring a feminist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she says, “It’s about the way the world treats us, and all I think if you lived in the world as a man with the privileges that the world accords to men and then sort of change gender, it’s difficult for me to accept that then we can equate your experience with the experience of a women who has lived from the beginning as a women and who has not been accorded those privileges that men are.“ In my opinion this statement was directed towards the situation discussed right after in the book about Caitlyn Jenner. She has lived a life as a man and obtained many opportunities granted to just men. When she won women of the year she thus quoted “The hardest part of being a woman... Is figuring out what to wear.” When women obtain the spotlight, it should not be too radiate being a dumb blonde but to discuss the issues or intellect women possess. It is incredibly hard for the public to recognize women success. The public just cares about what she looks like. How big her ass is, or how many guys she has slept with. The topics being discussed are irrelevant compared to the problems not presented to society.

In the section “#IAmSexist” written by George Yancy, he dives into his realization society is driven by a male-dominated agenda. Yancy’s realizations stemmed from his frustration with his fiancé. Yancy's fiancé expressed her discomforted taking Yancy’s last name; she wanted something for herself. Yancy pondered why he did not favor her decision and why shocked him. Yancy thought of his fiancé as property rather than a partner. He wanted to stamp his name on his significant other to show ownership over her.

Further, he discusses the masculine viewpoint identifying women as meat. Men at an adolescent age are asked to choose; wear a mask objectifying woman, as a piece of meat, or become labeled as gay. The mask most men wear in the initial stages of life imprints upon the character they display. Yancy addresses his experiences in fifth grade; a game him and his friends enjoyed together. The boys would push each other into the girls they liked. In doing so the boys would attempt to grope and touch the little girls. Yancy recognizes the game as violating; he offers the example to allow the reader to understand the foundation men are built upon.

The foundational behavior men are developed from; exponentially influence their essence. This mindset men are forced to implicate, treat women horrifically. Men have been taught to objectify women, and women are taught objectification is a form of interest. The extents men exceed to treat women as meat is disgraceful. Women cannot simply go for a run, get gas, or simply walk the street without a subconscious thought a man will harm her. Women have become terrified to perform normal tasks; scared for their comfort and even well-being.

In my personal experience, living inside a world driven by the male centric focus, it is a constant battle. Men have stalked me; putting an air tag on my car. Boys have attempted to kidnap me out of pure amusement. Every day, leaving my house to run on the greenway, without fail a man honks at me or cat calls me out of their window. Men have mistaken me for dumb taking time to mansplain the simplest of ideas. The list can continue however, these examples just only scratch the surface of the horrendous act's men ensue upon women every single day.

Statistically one out of every five women are victims of rape; about half of these women are raped by an intimate partner. The reality for women is the potential harm not limited to unknown men but their trusted partners as well. Women never feel completely safe; the guard can never be entirely knocked down. Additionally, legal power for women is incredibly limited. The sentences are short, and the process is immoral and extensive. Women during the darkest moments of their lives are further violated, accused of false accusations, and forced to write out their experiences for the legal system to interpret. The system is corrupt and immoral to women it supposedly represents.

Being a woman is so much greater than the choice of an outfit. The life of a woman is learning to live with one eye constantly over your shoulder. Hyper aware of your surroundings while multitasking effortlessly walking through life. The reality of being a girl is growing up being told about this huge world waiting for her and then grasping the world is waiting for her although it is only out to get her.

Discussion Question:

Is a world possible in which masks are never implicated?

With the newly elected congress, do you think the gender norms are shifting even further?

Do you believe this could spiral into a real transition within society?