Sometimes, I hate my school.
I hate the hookup culture. I hate the WNS expectations. I hate the drunken grabs in Shoots, the garbled words at frat parties.
I hate the classroom inequality—the way my professor validates the words of my male peers when they repeat the ideas of my female ones.
via: White Station Scroll
I hate that guys I’m friends with don’t understand why I hate walking alone on a campus that is “so closed off” and “safe.”
I hate when Duke forgets to alert its students of attempted kidnappings or robberies because they’ve become so commonplace, why make students paranoid?
I hate that the national average is 1/5 women will be sexually assaulted during their college career. I hate it even more that Duke’s average is 2/5.
via: The Chronicle
Sometimes, I hate my city.
I hate that women can’t walk down Main without dealing with catcalling, wolf whistling, and the inevitable poorly timed honk.
Related: A Reflection on Catcalling
via: Odyssey
I hate that my first thought after being objectified is, “Why did I put on this tank top? I should’ve worn something more modest.” Why is it a woman’s go to to blame herself?
Sometimes, I hate my country.
I hate that of Fortune’s ranked top 500 companies, 32 of them have female CEOs. That’s 6.4% female while women make up 50.8% of the population.
I hate that women make up less than a fifth of Congress while the population should reflect more than double that.
via: Asher Freeman
I hate the tampon tax—seriously, can we talk about the fact that on top of incessantly bleeding for 25% of the year, women also have to pay a tax for the “luxury” of wearing feminine hygiene products that allow us to live normally?
via: Change.org
I hate that my government is led by a sexist accused of sexual misconduct, known for disrespecting women, a man who was voted in by women as well as men.
Other times, I love these places.
I love the women willing to stand up for what they believe in, marching against inequality, starting movements, rising up.
Related: What Comes After the March
via: Guest of a Guest
I love watching women in power fiercely defend their right to be there, shooting down misogynists left and right.
I love having a community of women who are strong and empowered, women who inspire me to go beyond the limitations I have set for myself and that society has set for me.
I love having the opportunities I’ve been given, opportunities that women before me never had.
I love knowing that the world is moving in the right direction, even if we haven’t made it yet.