I hadn’t ever been told before my 20th year that because I am a woman, I couldn’t do something. I had never been told that because I am a woman, I am inferior. I had never been told that because of a biological difference, that I was inadequate. I truly didn’t think that these mindsets still existed, but unfortunately they do.
I want to preface this with saying I do not my job; I truly adore my job, and I don’t hate men in the slightest; in fact, I don’t hate anyone, but I do hate inequality and injustices.
I was working one evening, performing my closing duties and going through the routine that my job required. All of this was second nature to me because I had been doing it for a little over four years; I knew I was doing a good job.
Lost in the sounds of the store and the monotonous cleaning, I wasn’t aware that an employee was shouting “girl” in an effort to get my attention. I finally looked up at him in disbelief and asked if he was talking to me.
“Obviously I’m talking to you, you’re the only girl in this place!”
Rounding my 20th year out and knowing what I have personally faced, I said to him that I have a name that I will respond to and that I am a woman.
He laughed and looked at my other two male coworkers and said to them, “You hear her? She doesn’t know the first thing about being a woman. I don’t know about you men, but I was raised in a home that recognized men were the superior sex.”
I’m sorry, did I just time travel back to the 1920’s? What did he mean “superior?” My coworkers said nothing to rebut him and attempted to change the subject until he left.
I felt defeated, something I rarely ever feel.
Fast forward a few hours to my male coworkers discussing with a customer that 2/3 people in this kiosk are musicians, to which I chimed in, “actually all of us are!”
One of my coworkers turned to me and said, “you’re a girl so how can you even say that?”
Did I hear him right?
I tried to shake it off, knowing the things I was capable of and came back into work the next shift with a new mindset and fresher, more positive thoughts.
We were in the middle of a rush and were understaffed so the two women worked as fast as possible and got through it with moderate ease.
That same employee, my “superior,” came back and said, “You know what you girls need back here? More man power. Then things would be done correctly.” We looked at each other and ignored it. He went on to say, “You want to act like men and women are equals, I’ll treat you like it,” having only women lift incredibly heavy boxes for an hour while he “supervised.”
Excuse me?
Now, I have never been a feminist, partially because the word scared me and mostly because I was highly uneducated about what being one actually entailed, but I will tell you firmly that I am one now.
A feminist isn’t a man hating, body hair growing, argument searching “feminazi,” but rather a woman who advocates for equal rights of men and women. She doesn’t hate men. She isn’t unhygienic. She isn’t always a “she” because men are feminists, as well. They aren’t always angry and they don’t hate families.
If I didn’t have an absurdly deep need to give respect to not only my fellow co-workers/employers, but also anyone, I would have said to him all of the things that make me a woman.
I’m a woman and I have held a job (or multiple at a time) for upwards of almost six years.
I’m a woman and I have written music, performed in front of thousands, and played guitar for 15 years.
I’m a woman and I was a kick boxer for close to six years.
I’m a woman and I have never be in a car accident.
I’m a woman and I have never had children, but I am still aware of what womanhood is.
I’m a woman and I attend a university for higher education.
I’m a woman and aspire to be in a CEO or higher-level position in my future career.
I’m a woman and I understand the importance of equality between men and women.
My biological differences don’t make me any better or worse than any other person on this planet, which I hope one day everyone will realize, and just because someone tells me their opinions about their superiority based on biology doesn’t mean it’s true.
I am capable of so many things and I hope one day everyone, no matter their biology, is able to say that and understand that the success of others isn’t something to be intimidated of, but motivated because of.
Sources:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/feminist
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall09/parrish_s/myths.html
http://giphy.com/gifs/baseball-mone-davis-sports-gif-RVatRun9tvdGE
http://giphy.com/gifs/equality-confidence-o9r2a8AyUj4Ck
http://giphy.com/search/lauren-conrad-ceo
http://giphy.com/gifs/bachelorette-kaitlyn-bachelor-5BDllZRyDesFy
http://giphy.com/gifs/buzzfeed-zoe-saldana-viola-davis-rvcu74f2GV7r2
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2395382/images/o-FEMINISM-IN-2014-facebook.jpg