When Beauvoir said decades ago that one is not born but rather becomes a woman, she was talking about women for years to come. Even today, since the time a girl is born, she is slowly moulded and conditioned into what society believes a woman should be. She is taught to be submissive to men, hold herself as a second priority, and sacrifice herself for the family. Sarah Hale, alumni of Saint Louis University talks about her journey of discovering womanhood, in quite a different sense to the conventional one, through her journey at the University and afterwards.
Hale says that rebellion is a stage of human development. She suggests that we all make a list of things that were taught to us as being signs of a ‘good girl’. “Challenge every single thing on the list”, she says. From making money by oneself to leading at work and in life, she talks about how patriarchy offers no role for women except as supporting actors to men. This is why independent women need to step out of the system to find a standing for themselves and reclaim their space in the society. An independent woman also needs the right partner. Partners who tell you what to do or what not to, who abuse you physically or mentally, or treats you without respect are absolute no-nos. When you find a good partner, though, invest in them. Put in effort to make the relationship work. Above all, she says, love yourself. Embrace your body and look after it. Indulge in things that give you pleasure without guilt.
Women of tomorrow are the women of strong characters. Unlearn old ideologies to learn about yourself. The society needs women who would break the stereotypes that age old systems have forced them into to explore themselves and the world before them.
N Malavika Mohan