Strength comes in many forms and as women we are taught from a very young age that in order to be seen as capable we must be edgy, sexy, or cool. In action films the female is most often shown as a trophy to the male lead while running about in a sweaty tank top. In music videos the women are in revealing outfits and dancing around the male singer, usually provocatively. For some bizarre reason this makes him “more of a man”. In fashion editorials the women are over sexualized in a manner that borderlines pornography. Sometimes the women are even shown as symbolic or literal objects while, yes, supporting the male models involved. There are multiple issues with this and I won’t go into each one now, because let’s face it we could have an entire blog dedicated to the objectification of women, but it wouldn't solve anything. While being edgy, sexy or cool are not necessarily negative traits to possess, they should not be the determinate on what makes a woman strong.
My parents taught me heroines are just as valid as the heroes. They never discouraged certain elements of my life based on my gender, and they introduced me to strong female characters in films and books from a young age. I have always been overly feminine. From my admiration/obsession with the color pink to dressing up as a princess for the first 12 years of my life. We have been tricked into thinking that being feminine is a horrible trait. We as women are often called emotional and are told that we care too much. This idea that our caring nature should be hidden is preposterous. Katniss Everdeen’s love for her sister, Prim pushed her forward to volunteer at the reaping before the Hunger Games, despite being unsure if she would survive. She went on to lead a revolution in overthrowing the government despite great personal losses. Her acts of defiance had multiple repercussions, both negative and positive. Despite the great losses she experienced, she continued to endure. Eliza Bennett lived in a time when women were second class citizens and not allowed to even own property. She was outspoken, confident, driven and adventurous. In the 1700’s a woman’s main purpose was to get married, Eliza did this on her own terms despite backlash. She knew that her way of living went against the norm and that she wouldn't be widely liked because of this. However, she truly didn't care what others thought about her, and she remained herself. Both of these literary heroines were pillars of strength and neither of them needed a man in their life to survive, they were forces to be reckoned with all on their own. Our nature to love deeply is a gift, not a curse. This quality motivates us, pushes us and gives us strength beyond our means to protect those we care about.
One of the things that inspired me to write this was the recent #LikeAGirl campaign by the company ‘Always’. It highlights why doing things like a girl is not a bad thing. I urge you all to watch this groundbreaking commercial that brings light to the fact that doing things like a girl does not make one weak but strong. I am proud to be a girl.
My parents taught me heroines are just as valid as the heroes. They never discouraged certain elements of my life based on my gender, and they introduced me to strong female characters in films and books from a young age. I have always been overly feminine. From my admiration/obsession with the color pink to dressing up as a princess for the first 12 years of my life. We have been tricked into thinking that being feminine is a horrible trait. We as women are often called emotional and are told that we care too much. This idea that our caring nature should be hidden is preposterous. Katniss Everdeen’s love for her sister, Prim pushed her forward to volunteer at the reaping before the Hunger Games, despite being unsure if she would survive. She went on to lead a revolution in overthrowing the government despite great personal losses. Her acts of defiance had multiple repercussions, both negative and positive. Despite the great losses she experienced, she continued to endure. Eliza Bennett lived in a time when women were second class citizens and not allowed to even own property. She was outspoken, confident, driven and adventurous. In the 1700’s a woman’s main purpose was to get married, Eliza did this on her own terms despite backlash. She knew that her way of living went against the norm and that she wouldn't be widely liked because of this. However, she truly didn't care what others thought about her, and she remained herself. Both of these literary heroines were pillars of strength and neither of them needed a man in their life to survive, they were forces to be reckoned with all on their own. Our nature to love deeply is a gift, not a curse. This quality motivates us, pushes us and gives us strength beyond our means to protect those we care about.
One of the things that inspired me to write this was the recent #LikeAGirl campaign by the company ‘Always’. It highlights why doing things like a girl is not a bad thing. I urge you all to watch this groundbreaking commercial that brings light to the fact that doing things like a girl does not make one weak but strong. I am proud to be a girl.