Women are wonderful. We are fun, powerful, beautiful, strong, and so much more. Receiving a compliment from a woman feels ten times more empowering than when getting one from a man. After all, women know first hand the struggle, time, and effort it actually takes to be a woman. We face far too many pressures from society as a whole, and to know that your fellow ladies respect and accept you is truly a magical feeling.
As amazing as women are, they can be just as vicious. Those societal norms and expectations lead girls towards constant competition against each other. But, how can we help it when it’s everywhere we look? The media profits off of female rivalries. Magazines run polls on which celebrity wore a certain dress better, even if they both look incredible. Reality television seems to rake in the biggest views when screaming match or a cat fight breaks out. Common tropes and plot lines for movies center around feuds between young women, and the same worn-out stereotypes about certain “types” of girls and cliques.
The media can be so caught up in the pettiness and drama that we begin to lose sight of what’s really important. Women accomplish incredible things everyday, but get barely any recognition for it, if any at all. These achievements get buried under trivial noise, like which celebrity got a nose job, or who is sleeping with who.
Sadly, we feed into these stereotypes. We say nasty things to each other for petty reasons, and judge other women with only one glance. It may be difficult to break the mold, to try and ignore opinions that have been ingrained into us, but it is possible, and we all need to try.
My mom has always said to me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Which is truly a great example of a set of words to live by. As powerful as a compliment from a woman is, an insult can have a much larger, and more dangerous effect on another woman’s self-esteem. Exchange the scorn for praise, and everyone will feel better about themselves.
Put the claws away, and strive to help your fellow female out instead. No matter her race, beliefs, sexuality, or biology. Women need to join together, and continue to inspire one another. No matter how strong we may be individually, we are a powerful force to be reckoned with when we stand side-by-side.