Right when we are born, we are expected to stand separately. Boys line up one side of the room, while girls line up on the other. But what for? Is it to compare us based on gender, or is it to "organize" us better?
During the tiresome classrooms of separate learning subjects, there are assigned seats with interchangeable gender juxtaposition. Boy, girl, boy, girl. We are told to listen to the teacher as we get used to the opposite gender. Certain paradoxes like this begin to emerge over the years, but what exactly is society trying to say?
From this, it is expected that boys and girls as seen as equal. However, there is a huge emphasis on how boys should be "manly" and girls should be "girly."
But what does being a man or being a woman mean?
Is it being justified by what society thinks, or what you personally think?
Does being a man automatically mean having a cold demeanor, being dominant in nature, and masculinity?
Does being a woman automatically mean prioritizing fashion and drama, acting proper, feminine, and respectful?
See, what exactly do the words "masculine" or "feminine" mean?
When I was young, I was taught to have good manners at the dinner table, set up the table, and cross my legs when I'm sitting. But right when I head off to school, I feel free. There, surrounded by both boys and girls, I see the world in an equal lens; that no matter what gender you are, you are considered yourself based on what your morals are, and not the "expectations" that are constantly being put on you.
In fact, the biggest problem I had when I stayed at home was that I was expected to be "weak."
What do I mean by that? Well, I meant not being able to have an opinion, that I had to listen to what everyone tells me to do and not question their actions. At first, I felt obligated to listen, but as I grew up, I realized that I was being put behind my own gender.
The constant attention put onto women is what struck me.
The ironic factor was that once women enter the world, they aren't taught the dangers of the world. Instead, superiors expect them to act a certain way in order to not be "ridiculed," "seen," "assaulted," "manipulated," etc.
But, how are we supposed to learn? How are we supposed to experience any type of reality if we are held back from the world?
Certain enemies of all women are catcallers, men, society, patriarchal societies, and people who are against the rights of women.
It is no valid explanation to deduce that women are weak.
It is not to be assumed that just because women are the "other half" of men, it means that they do not deserve the same rights of men.
In history, there are various women that stood up for themselves. People like Malala Yousafzai, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Alicia Keys, and even Michelle Obama will not be noticed if the stereotype of weakness in women is what's most important. All of these women share one thing: strength and the ability to fight for what they believe in. In no way are they weak.
So, I want all of us women to fight for our rights, that we shouldn't be judged based on our gender, and that we shouldn't be labeled as "not strong enough." We aren't men, but we shouldn't be lumped in a single category. We are all beautiful, and we will all be noticed by society as people who will never give in to other people's criticism.