Women- a strong and essential presence in our society who have, and continue to positively shape our global community. In this day and age, where women’s rights are being fought for as much as they were in the 1920s, we are blessed with exquisite examples of what it means to be a woman warrior. Women who fight day in and out for what they deserve as not only women, but as humans. How did it get this way? How did strong women who foster life within them while still doing as much, if not more than the average man, become the ones who were so gravely mistreated? Women’s voices are stronger than ever, but still seemingly not heard. A majority male legislative claim to hear the opinions of women, which is over half of the population, yet no change is seen. Nearly 100 years since they were given the right to vote and have a voice, yet they continue to get paid less and abused in the workforce and at home. The mistreatment of women can be seen in the many issues they face, how amazing women from the past are continuingly overlooked, and in the comparison of male heros and female heroines.
Women face many struggles that include the wage gap, their lack of a voice, and violence. The wage gap is a prodigious problem that has ultimately led to busy women who are frequently mothers, having to work two jobs just to make ends meet and support herself and her family. The wage gap affects every single working woman, especially woman of color, who suffer the largest gap from a white male. But, no matter your race, your marital status, or your age, the wage gap is real and it is affecting you. Today, a woman earns 80.5 cents for every dollar a man earns. Women are doing the same jobs, just as good as any man, yet are continuing to get paid less. Although the gap is still present and real in modern society, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that mothers now make slightly more than women without kids at home, which was never possible a year ago. While this data shows that the wage gap is slowly closing, it is important that women continue to fight for this to ensure the continuation of the gap decrease. As the wage gap battle slows down, reproductive rights are put in the spotlight. Because of women’s beautiful gift of being able to give birth, we now have the debate over what women are allowed to do with their body. Reproductive rights have been a recurring issue with contraception such as “The Pill”, but the issues now are more focused on and surrounding abortion. While women are the ones who future laws on this topic could affect, the men are the ones making the decisions and taking control about it in our government. With a majority male legislative, their voice is stronger on topics that do not even affect them. The opinion of women is constantly being quieted and pushed down. Whether you are for or against abortion, it is fair to assume all women want their voice to be heard, and that is not what is happening. No matter what they believe, their thoughts should still be able to be heard just as loud as any man. The reproductive rights battle proves that the voice of women is still not being heard the way it deserves to be– loud and clear. Lasty, violence against women has always been an issue. “One in three women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence — mostly by an intimate partner. Whether at home, on the streets or during war, violence against women is a global pandemic that takes place in public and private spaces. Together we can and must end this pandemic” (UN Women). These days, it seems as if women always have something to fear. Men are women’s greatest predators in society, yet never face the consequences. Somehow, when a woman is harmed in any way at the hands of a man, the blame is always put on the woman. Whether it was what they were wearing, or the way they were acting, men seem to always have an unjustifiable excuse as to why they psychologically or physically hurt a innocent woman. Overall, women are seen as something that can be abused without any repercussions and that is not the case. What women deserve is simple– respect.
Growing up, young girls need to see strong women who they can look up to. Most children when they think of strong and powerful, they think of men– a sad but true reality. In movies and comic books, almost all of the superheroes are male. This stereotype of men being the only ones who are saving lives and helping the world only encourages the deeply rooted sexism in our society. Male heroes are seen as protective and life-changing people who are frequently saving “helpless” women. Female heroes are seen as successful mothers and business women who have made it without the help of man, but that is not all they are. Women are strong. Women are powerful. Women are mighty. Just because men are these things, it does not mean that women cannot be! In the recent Wonder Woman movie, the sensational female lead said “And between my prayers I made a vow that I would always be aware of my strength.” Women are a force to be reckoned with and should always be aware of just how supremely strong they are. It is important for young men to see that females can be heroes and change the world too. Today we see more women in comic books such as Wonder Woman and Catwoman. but it is not enough. Men still think that females cannot carry and handle the same responsibilities, but we see many examples of women warriors in history and today.
In society, we may see men accomplishing big innovative things but we never consider the women who have gotten them there. Sacajawea, Malala, and Harriet Tubman are all amazing examples of strong and independent woman that changed history. Lewis and Clark are famously known for their expedition across the western portion of the United States known as the Louisiana Purchase, but without Sacajawea, they would have never have completed their successful and groundbreaking mission. This extraordinary woman single-handedly carried her own infant child on her back as they walked for thousands of miles, guiding and aiding the men when necessary. She lead Lewis and Clark and shaped them into the successful explorers for which they are so well known for today. This remarkable woman still does not receive the same exposure and fame as Lewis and Clark nor the respect and admiration she deserves. She proved to society, especially arrogant males, that women are essential to our global community and can be just as smart, if not smarter, than men. Another outstanding example of female heroism is Malala Yousafzai. She stood up for what she believed in when no one else would, knowing the consequences that would ensue due to her extremely brave and bold actions. Malala ignored the strict laws of the Taliban and fought for all the women in Pakistan that are not allowed to receive any type of schooling. Malala said, “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” This woman warrior defied everything she has been told before and became an advocate for girl’s education at a young age. The brutal Taliban issued a death threat against her because of her heroic movement and one day on her way home from school she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman. Fortunately, being the strong woman that she is, Malala survived and earned herself a nobel peace prize.
Lastly, Harriet Tubman bravely fled her strict and abusive plantation in Maryland in her late twenties. She traveled 90 miles to Pennsylvania in search of freedom for herself, but Harriet was not happy on her own and wanted to help her friends and family escape the horror that they face in their plantations. Using the Underground Railroad she started to lead slaves out of their plantations to safety in the northern states, but freedom there did not last. When a law came out allowing freed slaves in the north to be captured and enslaved again, Harriet began bringing people all the way up to canada therefore starting her own underground railroad system. Harriet Tubman personally led over 300 people to freedom and did not lose a single person along the way. She later was recruited to help fugitive slaves during the civil war. She risked everything to help lead hundreds to freedom and allow them a chance at new life. When facing challenges, women should think of this quote said by Harriet Tubman, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Women should always believe in themselves no matter the stereotypes they are labeled with and how much they are mistreated. These three women are what we all strive to be in the face of adversity– women warriors.