Do we have access to education? Women account for 55% of all college students in the US, but make up 66% of the world’s illiterate adults. In many countries, principally the economically challenged, under-developed, and developing countries – girls and women’s access to education is expensive, difficult to obtain, and infrequent, at best.
These various statistics speak to us in broad strokes, of course, merely adding a bit of color to a portrait of women that is extremely nuanced. A woman’s worth is undeniable, yet our sense of self-esteem, self-respect, and self-efficacy seems to fluctuate and waiver. Women consistently seek approval from others in order to adjust our self-esteem meter, which is understandable given that we continue to face inconsistencies in our lives that make us question ourselves, i.e., equity in pay scale, balance of work and family, value or lack-of placed on our unpaid labors. We worry about our worth, ability, value, stature, physical appearance, and often base our assumptions about ourselves – even to the point of establishing our identity – on the opinions of others.
In a world that still functions with a predominately male-oriented mind-set, which uses a louder, and more aggressive voice, women are grappling with a difficulty being assertive – particularly as it applies to negotiating better deals for ourselves. Rather than ramping up our gumption and raising our own voices, we often choose, by default, not to vocalize at all. Consider our dismal voting record.
That a woman’s worth is inviolate should be the beginning, middle, and end of our story. However, in many life domains, and in various cultures and societies, a woman’s worth is stratified according to stereotypes and rituals – the residue of history. Enough. It’s time for us as humans to grow up. Female, male – both genders are equally needed, and both are equally worthy. Women are highly capable of changing the status quo. To do so, however, we’ll need to apply our formidable talents to this task, and raise our voices with at least the same tenacity and fervor as our male counterparts. Women make up the majority of educators; let’s use that power to teach young girls to be assertive, resilient, independent and responsible.
