Women’s Empowerment May Not Look the Same for Every Woman

Over the years, women have fought long and hard for their rights and freedoms that many of us have today. The freedom to vote, pursue an education, have a career, make our own money and live independently are all things that women protested to achieve. Although accomplishments are worth celebrating, I think somewhere along the way we have started to create a new expectation of what empowered women are supposed to look like. 

Today, it sometimes feels as though being an independent woman means climbing the corporate ladder and proving that you don’t need a man. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting those things, what about the woman who wants something different? What about the woman who dreams of getting married, having children and staying at home to raise her family? Does that make her any less strong and independent? 

With social media in the picture, it can be very easy for us girls to constantly feel like we are competing with one another and comparing ourselves. We see women celebrating their achievements by sharing them with the world, which is wonderful. But, sometimes the message can unintentionally become that if you aren’t pursuing those same things, you aren’t living up to your potential. Women who choose to prioritize their families or embrace a more traditional lifestyle can find themselves judged for their decisions. But why does women empowerment have to fit into one specific box? 

The whole point of fighting for women’s rights was to give women and girls the ability to choose. That freedom should include the choice to build a career, stay home with your children, travel the world or a little bit of everything. One woman’s dream should never have to look like someone else’s dream to be considered valuable. 

It is also important to remember that we don’t know the full story behind someone else’s choices. A woman who chooses to stay home may have worked hard to get to that point, just as a woman who builds a career has worked hard for her accomplishments. Neither path is automatically easier or more meaningful than the other. We should be careful not to make assumptions about a woman’s ambitions and her happiness based solely on the lifestyle she chooses.

I believe we should start spending less time comparing ourselves to other women and instead, spend more time supporting each other. Being empowered does not mean following a specific lifestyle or meeting society’s definition of success. It means having the freedom to make your own choices and being happy with the life you create for yourself. 

At the end of the day, if you feel happy and fulfilled, you are embracing the very thing that women have fought for all these years. It seems as long as we have been alive, women are expected to meet a certain standard and be a certain person. Let’s not continue that pattern. Instead, we should cheer each other on and support each other. That is the true meaning of womanhood and woman empowerment.