I’ve been thinking about how every women centric sub revolves around men and not women. I understand that men need to be discussed due to how their behaviour impacts women, but on more benign posts, I’m struck by just how much women place their own value in the hands of men.
It would be beneficial if women could introspect and honestly reflect about how they place their value in the hands of men. I know women have been socialised to but thought patterns and behaviours can be changed. It just takes hard work.
Women are willingly giving over their own personal power to men. Women have historically been oppressed and continue to be. Due to the patriarchal system, men still predominantly hold the positions of power. Women have been battling for centuries to gain equality, not power, but basic rights. This battle is ongoing. In a society, where women wield such little leverage, why freely give your own personal power over to men?
Why place your value in whether he calls you? Tells you that you’re beautiful? Asks you on a date? Why allow your self worth to be bound up in these things? Why willingly disempower yourselves?
Regarding posts about casual sex, and/or ‘situationships’, the amount of women who report feeling used is huge. Why continue to have casual sex? Why not assert boundaries? Why not wait to have sex until you’re sure that he wants a relationship? Why allow him to string you along and have his cake and eat it? Why allow him regular sex with absolutely no view to ever having a relationship? Why don’t you know and practice your own self worth?
If people don’t demand change, change doesn’t happen. No change that has occurred throughout history has occurred without people demanding it. If you want things to change, ask for it. Assert boundaries. Know your worth.
I appeal to women to invest more time in yourselves, in your hobbies, in your passions, in your emotional well-being. Develop as individuals, without the reliance on input from men.
I’m appealing to women to stop giving your personal power over to men.
Define yourself on your own terms, not on men’s terms.