Strong women; may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.
This is the mantra that erupts across social media annually on March 8, International Women’s Day. And as we watch the footage of women in Ukraine leaving their husbands, sons, and brothers behind as they flee the country, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be ‘strong women’.
For a long time, I said that I had the incredible privilege to not need to be a feminist because of all of the women who came before me, both within my immediate family and friend circle and beyond it, who made everything I love about the life I am currently living - from Katherine Switzer, the first women to run the Boston Marathon to Clara Brett Martin, the first woman to be called to the bar in Canada - possible. And while I still believe this to be true on so many levels, my impending entry into a historically male-dominated sector of a historically male-dominated profession (and yes, I realize this could be said about pretty much any profession other than joining a convent), my experience as a woman in the world, and my desire to be a strong woman have felt ever more at the forefront.
Throughout my undergraduate career, there was a prevailing sentiment that in order to be a strong, modern, woman, you needed to shirk the things that were traditionally considered to be feminine. We were encouraged to revisit the influences of our childhood and disparage the toys, books, and films that aligned with our traditional gender role. For some, I have no doubt that this was a genuinely cathartic exercise of self-discovery and proclamation. To me, it felt like imposing yet another external definition of what it means to be female. I loved Cinderella and I’m about to graduate from law school, so it would be fairly disingenuous to argue that I was strongly influenced by this damsel-in-distress narrative.
Strength does not come from rejecting the interests and activities that you naturally lean towards, even if those fall into the categories of traditional gender roles. Sometimes, it’s not conforming to a gender stereotype, it’s just being honest about who you are.
Strong women, I believe, are the women who are comfortable accepting the many parts of themselves. Strong women are everywhere.
Love this Sadie!! My purple-loving, fairy-obsessed, tiara-wearing, ribbon-donning, karate-kicking, hockey-playing, moot team-arguing, powerhouse of a daughter!
This is so important and so true. I live this too