The simple act of raising your hand. Men have no problem with this. They simply have a thought and there is no part of their mindset that prevents them from expressing their every opinion or causing even a fraction of hesitation. However, I as a woman constantly find myself overthinking. Have I responded too many times? Am I being a know-it-all?
I first realized this mental limiting factor in a conversation with my roommate. We were talking about confidence and how it applies to more than how we walk or talk. I realized that confidence not only translated to my demeanor, but also my thoughts and how I function. This pertained to the constant doubt in my mind when I’m taking a test, the overthinking when I raise my hand in a class full of men, and even a simple expression in a lunch table where I am outnumbered by members of the opposite sex.
As I put more thought into this, I realized that it wasn’t a simple issue of confidence. It is a centuries-long problem in how women are defined to be. For eons, women have been limited to certain forms of expression. If a woman is too outspoken, she is seen as brash, while a man would just be deemed confident and assertive. If a woman is too quick with her words, she is seen as over-emotional, while a man is just seen as quick-witted.
These stereotypical holds extend to the workplace, our places of study, and even our forms of government. Time after time I find myself reading articles on how a female politician let her “emotions” get the best of her, followed by statements questioning her very credibility to even be in office. Recently, I saw this very situation during the hearings for the new Supreme Court Nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. To see a woman of such poise and intelligence be asked such preposterous questions (questions that would never be asked to a man), opened my eyes to how many more barriers are left to be broken by us women.
While we are fighting years of standards set upon women, not all hope is lost. Every day I see women on the news and even around me fighting these ideals of male chauvinism. They empower me and they inspire me. Whenever I find myself doubting myself and restraining myself, I think of every other woman breaking the barriers we all see. Why should I limit myself from being an unapologetic woman when men are unapologetically themselves? Most importantly, why should you?