Phenomenal Women

There is a combination of traits that make a truly great woman. As girls of this generation let’s strive to learn something from each icon: the rebels, the fighters, and the voices. Learn to go above and beyond society’s expectations of us, to fight for our rights, and not be afraid to use our voices. With all of those qualities in our arsenal, our generation can grow to be the best women in history.

The Rebels 

Revolutionary females like the scientist Marie Curie and aviator Amelia Earhart have dared to think that they are as good as men. As rebels of their time they challenged social norms, choosing not to play the roles society cast them as and rewriting their stories altogether. Instead of damsels in distress, they were heroines. Earhart once said, "Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others." They promote the ideology that girls shouldn’t be afraid to excel in sports, sciences, or any other male dominated profession and pursuit because their hands are capable of more than what is expected of them.

The Fighters 

Gradually throughout the years in places around the globe, women have risen above in patriarchal societies. Presently, they have come so far, but there still a long journey ahead with those around the world still caught in the past. Malala Yousafzai is an example of someone that picked up the gauntlet, a modern day Emmeline Pankhurst. However, instead of leading the suffragette movement so women could get the right to vote, she is an advocate for girls’ right to an education. These activists were persecuted because they believed females should have the same rights men are entitled to and despite facing prejudice and discrimination, the two spearheaded campaigns that will be immortalized in history. There are so many battles yet to be overcome for females, like equal pay, objectification in media, and the fixed mentality society has of the group in general. This is why the campaign needs feminists that truly understand the meaning of the word to join in.

The Voices 

The voices of females have long since been stifled, whether it’s others talking over them, the fear of speaking out that’s been instilled, or their words just remaining unheard and ignored. Gloria Steinem is journalist and activist that brought the topic of feminism for discussion into the modern world. She was the forefront of the movement during the late sixties to early seventies and is still presently a spokeswoman on the subject, travelling around the world to share her perspective. One of Steinem’s famous quotes is, “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.” Steinem was very outspoken with her opinions, challenging pre-dispositions society had of women and promoting solidarity in the cause. History is no longer just ‘his story’ because over time numerous women like Gloria Steinem have taken up the pen and started to write. 

Thank you all for reading this blogpost! I've always been an advocate of feminism and although this post was originally an article I wrote for my school newspaper Fleetwood Press, I thought I might share my opinions on the topic with the rest of you as well. So if you're a student at Fleetwood and you want to read more articles like this, stay tuned for next months issue! I hope you enjoyed reading it and we'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject in the comments!

Stay gold,

Anne