We live in a world that lets you be whomever you want to be. A teacher, doctor, writer, artist, or engineer–we have opportunities presented to us that generations before never could have dreamed of having. In our world, we have freedoms.

However, as a woman I am limited to what I can do.

If I speak my mind I am too bossy and controlling. If I wish to rid myself of these words associated with myself like some have tried to in the past, I am stupid and only causing drama. Such as with the bossy movement where women did try to have that word removed, and were laughed at and mocked.

I have to worry about being called these things because as a woman in a position that qualifies me for leadership, many will not respect me just because I am a woman.

Though, it is true I have more liberties than others have in certain countries, but we must remember it was not that long ago we gave equal rights to everyone in our country. In reality, have we fully achieved this goal?

If it is not true then why is it, as a woman, will I make less than a man in exact same job as me? Or if I file a report for sexual harassment suddenly I “was the one asking for it” because of what I was wearing. That I am “making it up to get attention.”

Suddenly, it becomes the woman’s fault for a crime someone else did.

A woman cannot like Uggs and Starbucks without being a “basic white girl”. A woman cannot like video games and comics without being a labelled a “fake geek girl”. If she wears makeup she’s fake, but if she doesn’t she’s a slob. Finally, she cannot like learning or else she is a “nerd,” but if she does not she is an airhead.

To put this into a closer perspective, imagine a little girl and boy. What do you see? A small girl playing with Barbie dolls with ribbons in her hair? A boy playing football and wrestling in the mud, perhaps playing with toy cars?

What if they switched what they were doing? Many would see the little girl as tough, or a tomboy. The boy, however, would be more than likely punished for doing something that is too girly.

Men have to be strong at all times or else they are weak. They have to play sports and be “buff”. The men have to like beer, football, and all “macho” things or else they are too feminine.

I am not saying that men are not forced into the roles of a gender, because they are. The fact I am presenting is that the role of woman is the part that everyone avoids.

They are seen to be weaker and- until recently in history- unable to handle any leadership position in society. This happened with Elizabeth I of England. She ruled without a king and because of this many questioned if she was secretly a man.

Is it really that shocking a woman ran a country on her own, and lead it to victory and prosperity as well?

This is the reason why women all over the country- and the world -marched to have their voice heard. I know we (women in the US) have it better than most in the world, I’m not disputing this fact. But women all around the world have been discriminated against for the “history of mankind,” especially if they are of a different race or creed.
And I want to change that.