To Women Worldwide
by Priya Mehta
As March comes to an end, I wanted to write this for all the amazing females worldwide. Those who continue to go above and beyond, those who have struggled, those who have been faced with gender stereotypes and bias, those who have grown up in fear and have been wrongfully harmed, and to those women who are just living, taking it step by step each day. International Women’s Day may officially be March 8th, but it is unofficially every single day. Every day, we go out and live our lives; it is a day worth celebrating.
As a female, I grew up scared. I was always told, “be careful with what you wear,” “never go out alone,” “don’t trust anyone.” As a young child who constantly grew up hearing many phrases along these lines, I always feared being anywhere alone, but at the same time, I feared being anywhere with too many people. I knew that something could go wrong no matter who I was with, and I knew that I would feel unsafe no matter where I was. Women worldwide fear walking alone and fear dressing “inappropriately” because women are raped and killed every day for reasons such as these.
Women go through so much that there is an immense amount of pressure on us, and we are constantly living in fear. For me, I was always passionate about women empowerment and leadership - holding a strong belief that women should not have to fear the world they live in. Every day, women deal with inequality, higher social standards and live a life that society creates for them. “Women are supposed to tend to men,” “She deserves less,” “Women are crazy.” Believe it or not, I have heard these phrases countless times in my life, and I know as I move forward in my journey of life, I have no doubt that I will continue to hear phrases such as these. In the workplace, jobs and assignments are often gendered; I have experienced them first hand. Men are ALWAYS seemed to be superior, leaders, the better gender. But really? What support do these claims even have? Most of these claims stem from toxic masculinity, which constantly harms women.
The blame for all of this is put on women, and our voices are silenced. Every day, no matter what the concern is, women are deemed as crazy and as if they don’t know what they are talking about. My one wish is for the world to not see women as crazy, “inferior” gender but instead realize their worth. I want the world to allow women to feel safe and justified in their choices and do the same things men can; we deserve equality.
To every woman wronged by societal expectations, to those who have lost their lives or humanity due to the social construction of gender, I am sorry. To those who constantly live in fear, I am sorry. To those struggling to carve their path because their gender negatively impacts them, I am sorry. We are much better than this, and we deserve all of the good the world has to offer.