You Can Be A Woman As Long As You’re Seen In A Certain Context

March 9, 2023

Angle & Perspective – News Journal {Opinion article}

You Can Be A Woman As Long As Your Seen In A Certain Context

IS the worth of women only praiseworthy if they are seen in a certain context or is something missing from the modern view of women’s place and value? This is something I’ve been asking myself over the past couple of years and I challenge my readers to answer as well.

Last fall I interviewed a member of the Cherokee tribe of Georgia, in which I quoted a statement to him for comment taken from Jeff Means, a Marine Corps vet from the Ogala Sioux tribe who was recognized for his contribution to the Code Talkers.

“The US government has forgotten Native Americans as a whole, its part of the entire cultural push where Natives are great as long as they’re seen in a certain context.”1

The conviction behind this is beyond the scope of this article, but in a sentence, it addresses the way many Native Americans feel about being seen as “lesser than” or within the framework of being from “a long time ago,” and the like. While achievements are being made in favor of restoring dignity and place to Native Americans, not just as a heritage people, but as a still-very-alive and impactful presence, there is still a ways to go for them to be seen in a more proper context.

This quote came to mind yesterday as I saw the majority of posts and articles regarding International Women’s Day hailing women with a very biased focus on women’s achievements solely in relation to their career, position of power or level of education and success. A huge win for the Feminist movement, but is it truly a huge success for women themselves? Is this truly the image women want to be valued for? I propose not for everyone…

A growing movement of women’s voices are starting to be heard for wanting a different picture of themselves. A picture of being appreciated as homemakers, wives, mothers, caretakers, and creatively resourceful. Unfortunately, the largest voices in media and influence are downplaying, ignoring or downright trashing the voices that should be as loud as any others.

I only found out when I started to become one myself and found to my surprise how many other women felt the same way I did. I found so many stories of women in their later years waking up to find they’d missed out on their chance to have the life they really wanted after pursuing their career as front and center for most of their lives. Young girls leave public school fully prepared for the next level of university or career choice, but are they leaving fully prepared to potentially abandon their dreams of being a wife or mother -before they realize that it might be a choice between one of the two?

Now, as an aspiring journalist, I’m on a mission to help these women find an outlet for their voices to be heard (among other topics of choice). The women who have raised concerns about the antiquated ideologies of the feminist movement and the consequences it has brought to our current social norms. The women who have come out on the other side of much soul-searching to realize what’s most important to them and what they want in their heart of hearts and what they want to be appreciated for.

These in contrast to the idea that women need to have a powerful position in society to be noticed for their worth; and that the idea of a powerful position means some external title outside of “woman” alone. This needs to be challenged. Women are born with a powerful position in society and hold it for the rest of their lives. Without women, men don’t exist and that is powerful enough by itself, but women are worth so much more and its time we start knowing why without the inserted external factors as a starting point.

While those most fervently working to preserve the ideals of feminism may relate to the title statement of this article (about being seen in a certain stigmatized way) as they feel trapped by notions of traditional roles, other feminists are suggesting that the climax for the Feminist movement has already reached its peak and feminist equality has been achieved. Still, there are those who are now fully committed anti-feminists who have left the feminist movement altogether, repulsed by its negative impact on their lives.

Lastly, there are the women who never supported it in the first place, still in disagreement with it and heralding the traditional patriarchal system as valid, necessary, and even preferred; but they feel trapped in the context of being shamed for preferring a certain lifestyle at odds with a system that no longer caters to women in this way. I think it’s safe to say that what women want is not a one-fix solution and maybe that’s what should be put on the table first.

With diversity comes complication. We all love to find common ground, but we are all different and if we want to honor minorities then we should recognize all voices equally when it comes to how women want to define themselves. I hope we can all agree that women deserve to be seen as women and appreciated as women without the context of title or list of achievements or networth … just as men want the same.

As I’ve contemplated these things, I’ve realized there are a lot of related questions that beg for answers. Most disturbingly, I’ve struggled to have a ready answer for myself or others for the simplest question of “What is a woman?” and I’ve since found many others are struggling with the same. In an age where we are told we can define ourselves however we want, still so many can’t answer a basic question with deep-rooted conviction.

While I have spent time coming up with a list of what I believe a woman is at her core being, I think this is an area we could afford to spend more time and conversations on as a whole. So I’m now in the process of conducting research through a volunteer survey to find out how easily this answer comes to women and men and try to get to the heart of what’s really behind their convictions.

If you’d like to participate in this survey or want to hear the results upon completion, please contact me @ foreverblessed@onmail.com

Feel free to share your angle or perspective on this article by commenting and if you enjoyed it or found it thought-provoking please share to encourage further conversation!

Thank you!

Femininely yours,

iam:ForeverBlessed

This video by Jubilee tries to find the “Middle Ground” for women’s voices about career and motherhood specifically and is worth a watch as it promotes empathy and understanding toward all positions.

1 https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2019/11/15/a-warrior-tradition-why-native-americans-continue-fighting-for-the-same-government-that-tried-to-wipe-them-out/

You Can Be A Woman As Long As You’re Seen In A Certain Context

Angle & Perspective – News Journal {Opinion article}

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