I’ve never really been much of a feminist; I make degrading jokes, blame things on ‘being a woman’ and often let men take charge of my life. Maybe that means I fail as a woman? I don’t know, hopefully it just goes to show my distinct lack of research into life as a woman before we had equal rights and the right to vote and things – my heads pretty buried under the sand with that kind of stuff, shock horror: I didn’t pay attention in school. At the moment though, I’m on a tangent of woman empowerment and girl power!
I noticed it yesterday and since then things have spiralled in my mind and I’ve realised I’m all about the girls at the moment. No, that doesn’t mean I’m coming out the closet, I’m definitely attracted to men – but girls are frigging awesome. Yesterday I took part in a yearly charity 5k Race For Life event raising money for cancer research Uk – it’s a women’s only event (though men can come along and support) so it’s incredible being surrounded by thousands of women of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds all there to support the same cause. I’d done no preparation for it and neither had the girls I was with, as we strolled around the track one of the older male Marshall’s encouraged ‘go on, girl power!’ To which we vaguely cheered. Even the men are all about girl power.
I took no notice of this mans ‘girl power’ and didn’t process it in my foggy little brain until today when I went on a 90’s movie marathon and watched numerous chick flicks with a strong female lead. The 90s brought us some pretty powerful female influences – Christina Aguilera with her power ballad Fighter, Britney Spears sung Stronger, Shania Twain rocked the world with Man, I feel like a woman and ultimate pop group The Spice Girls were the epitome of girl power in everything that they did.
Today’s chart music sees even more girl power themes and it’s inescapable, nothing sees a group of women hit the dance floor like a super empowering dance song. The Pussycat Dolls reminded me that I Don’t Need A Man, Beyoncé chants Who Runs The World? Girls! And Little Mix, the female federal, demand I stand up and Salute. What woman could resist storming to the dance floor when these beats hit the speakers?!
Television is another place where women play the lead, just look at 90s classics Charmed & Buffy the Vampire Slayer, see movies with feisty Megora in Hercules, powerful Lara Croft from the game series Tomb Raider or look at books, who would honestly mess with Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series? No one, that girl is unbeatably smart and an absolute demon with a wand.
Even looking around the office, I work in recruitment which is stereotypically overpowered by men in suits full of charm & good looks. I’m proud to say our office breaks the mould; the office boss is female, the managers beneath her? Female. Majority of the team managers? Female, in fact we only have 2 team managers out of about 10 that are men. And looking around the floor at the coordinators? Majority female. Our office is dominated by women, not to say men don’t carry power in the office, they certainly do, but they’re definitely outnumbered in the battle of the genders.
I can’t help at the moment but to feel insanely proud to be a woman. Musical influences are storming the charts with female empowering lyrics, Disney movies, like Frozen, are finally showing that us girls don’t need to be saved by a man, and there’s a sense of unity on social media – If I look at my Facebook newsfeed on a weekend it’s full of groups of girls dressed to the nines going on nights out. Even when I was travelling, majority of the solo travellers were girls from all over the world.
Women are beautiful, majestic and powerful creatures, I know with the right words, correct perfume and my hair styled in a certain way that I can have certain men be putty in my hands. Maybe that makes them shallow, or maybe that shows that I know how to use my assets to my benefit and I’m sure as hell not afraid to use them. With the right pair of heels I’ll walk with a confidence that shows nobody can bring me down (dodgy curb will have me flat on my face though). Don’t get me wrong, on my girl power tangent I still appreciate chivalry – a gentleman holding the door open for me or paying for dinner is ALWAYS appreciated. Men are not inferior, they are not beneath us in anyway, but I sure wouldn’t want to be one of them in a world being taken over by women waking up to their inner strength and power!
euphoricobsession 