Women have been fed the lie
that we must live a certain
way to be deemed
acceptable by our society.
I say we can live whatever way
we want to live.
So what if I don’t want to
get married? Or have kids?
As a woman, that is deemed
utterly, abhorrently unacceptable.
Why?

Just like not having kids or
wanting to get married,
there are so many things that are
geared in this society to shame
specifically women.
Such as, women should show
off what they have to be considered
attractive, but, mind you,
not too much, lest the boys get rowdy
and accidentally “take advantage.”
I can dress however I please
whether no matter anyone’s opinion.
No matter how much I show,
boys should not be told that it is okay
for them to put their hands on me
because they find me attractive.
And, guess what, I’m not weak!
None of us are.
If those boys try to take advantage
because they
think that they simply have the right
to act on all their stupid impulses,
I should not be held accountable
for whatever actions I deem necessary
to keep my mind and body safe.
Yet, I am. We are.
Yet, despite our right to be what we want,
be whoever we please,
women are still shamed into thinking
that “boys will be boys” and that
getting raped or molested or catcalled
is their fault. And that is despicable.

This society is despicable.
This society is wrong.

Stop telling young girls that
they must bend to the will of men,
stop telling girls that they need to
look a certain way to be happy,
to be successful.
Stop telling young girls they
have to live within the guidelines
that have gripped this society for
far too long.
They’re outdated,
they’re no longer applicable,
they need to change.
We need to change.
We need to tell our young girls
that they are strong and beautiful
because they are.
We need to tell them that
they can do what they want,
not because they’re a girl but because
they are a person
because it’s true.
This society has been geared towards
men for far too long.
It’s time we changed that.