Hello everyone and welcome to JGC Blog.
As 2017 is reaching its end and as we, women and girls are wearily bracing ourselves for whatever challenges and hardships the years of 2018 will bring upon us, I wanted to write this post to celebrate and acknowledge how far we’ve come.
“I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren’t pretty, or smart, or young. They’re still princesses.”
Despite everything that tried to bring us down, I still think that we should look at 2017 with a positive mindset.
It was the year of Wonder Woman, the year in which the movement #MeToo finally took off in a tsunami that took down men who arrogantly though they would never be held accountable for their cruel and criminal actions.
I don’t think 2017 was a year of awareness for feminism and women in general because as a woman, you are always aware of everything around you. How can we not be when we are taught that our very nature might entice someone into harm us?
Every poster, every magazine and every campaign shows off our naked bodies but as individuals, we are urged to mind ourselves, mind our words, press our lips and legs tightly shut, be demure and decent and meek.
When you are woman, if you speak out it means that you are loud and disruptive. If you fight back then you are mainly and aggressive. If you like glitter and pink? Well, you must be superficial and stupid. If you choose to cover-up your body in black from head to toes? Oh, poor you, so submissive and weak!
There is no way to win when you are a woman because that obscene way of thinking, that disgusting set of unfair rules was historically put in place by men and traditionally perpetuated by everyone in society for centuries.
But times have changed. We have changed. We are changing still.
We are not just affirming ourselves and reclaiming our bodies. We are coming after anyone who would try to take our rights for themselves.
So, this little post is for all the little girls, the singles ladies, the girlfriends, the wives, the grandmothers, the mothers, the daughters, the aunts and the sisters who ever felt that burning feeling of oppression and took the necessary step to break from it.
All little girls are princesses the same way that all little boys are princes.
A princess should forever be kind to others and generous. She should cultivate and embrace differences while always seeking to develop empathy in others and herself. A princess is born with the burden of constantly working up to be the best version of herself, so she can inspire people to better themselves.
It is hard but it is our privilege. All girls are princesses and all women are queens.
So ladies, keep your heads up because as long as we are trying, we are winning.
- Featured Image Header: Credit and Source: “Woman on the Shore” by Harmony Lawrence – Please support the wonderful artist on their 500px page.
JGC Blog - Culture is not one thing. It's Everything. 