The Power of a Woman: Embracing Our Identity, Strength, and Value

Happy Women’s History Month! We have a lot to talk about.

Womanhood is a multifaceted and deeply personal experience that transcends biological differences. Being a woman encompasses a rich tapestry of identity, strength, and empowerment, shaped by diverse cultures, societies, and individual stories. It’s in these lived experiences, from girlhood to womanhood, that allows us to step into our identity and our strength. In exploring what it means to be a woman, we must consider the unique challenges, triumphs, and new complexities women are facing today, including being erased.

Let’s start with some basics. I need to say that a woman’s life and lived experiences are not a parody. It’s important to set the scene here, and also say that women are not a costume that someone can put on and play pretend with over-the-top stereotypical displays of vapid bimbo-ness. A woman is an adult biological female, but that’s not all a woman is. Being a woman is a journey of self-discovery, where we navigate the complexities of identity, shaped by a myriad of factors such as culture, upbringing, and personal experiences. It involves embracing one's femininity, but also recognizing that womanhood is not a monolithic experience.

Each woman's journey is unique, filled with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and aspirations. There are things a woman goes through that can only be experienced and felt by a woman.

I’ve said this in previous articles I’ve written but I’ll say it here again for good measure – women and men are different and this is not a bad thing. We are equals, but we are not exactly the same. Women and men each bring something different to the table, and when we know our God-given roles and step into them with purpose and intention, it works.

Womanhood comes with a set of challenges, but “societal expectations” and “systemic inequalities” are not the biggest of them. Historically, women have had to confront gender-based discrimination and fight for their rights. This is great, because we fought for our rights, and we won. I know more women than men that are in high positions of power in the workplace. More women are in leadership positions at the company I work for, and surpass the paygrade of others. Biased mainstream media will tell you that we must “fight the patriarchy” and continue to “close the gender pay gap” but I really don’t believe this. It’s 2024, and let’s be real – we live in a matriarchy. Women are bold and outspoken more than ever, and play more of a dominant role than ever before. We’re actually leaving a lot of our young men behind in educational settings, the workplace, and the family, but that’s another discussion for another time.

When it comes to equal opportunities, we as women have them already. When someone tells me that in 2024 women don’t have the same rights as men, I ask them to tell me specifically what rights we don’t have. No one is going to stop a woman from doing a job such as construction work, or engineering for example. The truth is that women are just not going for these types of jobs. Women are drawn to career fields like nursing, or teaching for example. More women are nannies than men. We’re drawn to certain types of job paths just like men are drawn to certain job paths. Why? Because we’re different from each other. The “patriarchy” is not out here stopping women from getting certain jobs. If you’re legitimately qualified and do the same amount of work at the same level of quality, the general consensus is that you’d get hired or promoted. If this is not happening, it is the exception, not the rule.

One of the defining aspects of being a woman is the strength and resilience displayed in the face of adversity. Women have been at the forefront of social movements, breaking barriers, and challenging stereotypes. The strength of women is not only physical but encompasses emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions. It is about overcoming obstacles, supporting one another, and forging paths of empowerment. This is why it’s important to protect women’s spaces, psychologically and physically. We’ve fought hard to get here, so let’s not unravel it all now!

Empowerment is also such a central theme in the narrative of womanhood. It involves recognizing and embracing one's abilities, pursuing dreams, and contributing to positive change. Empowered women uplift and inspire others, fostering a sense of unity and solidarity. Being a woman means breaking free from restrictive stereotypes that limit individual potential. Women are no longer confined to traditional roles like they were back in the day; they are leaders, innovators, and contributors in various fields. However, this doesn’t mean that traditional roles should be looked down upon either. If a woman aspires to be a mother and a good wife, there’s nothing wrong with this. It’s in her God-given nature, so why should she try to suppress that? Not every woman wants to be a “boss babe” in the corporate world, and I personally think we should return to some of our core values. Being a mother is a powerful gift, and often a thankless and neverending job. Yet there is something so profound about this because only a woman has this power. (Don’t misunderstand me on this point either, as I know that not every woman wants to be a mother, or can be one, and that’s ok too!)

Embracing femininity is an integral part of being a woman, but it is essential to recognize that femininity is not a one-size-fits-all concept. Intersectionality, acknowledging the interconnected nature of various social identities, plays a crucial role in understanding the diverse experiences of women. Being a woman encompasses a spectrum of identities, including race, ethnicity, sexuality, and socio-economic background. This is why I continue to stress the point of the uniqueness and strength that a woman possesses.

Let me take a moment here to express my opinions and genuine questions...If one says they "feel like a woman" how does one know what a women feels like if they have never been one? A grown man who decides one day that he is a woman - what made him "feel" like a woman suddenly? To skip the entire amazing journey of girlhood to womanhood and completely cancel out everything that real women live and experience... how can anyone make sense of this? Feminine traits and interests doesn't necessarily mean you're a woman. Masculine traits and interests doesn't necessarily mean you're a man. If you like the color pink, enjoy romantic comedies, and are in touch with your emotions, does this automatically make you a woman? No, because it’s deeper than that. (And aren't those all the sterotypical things that women have fought so hard to get rid of?)

If the counter argument to this is that it really is just a feeling, why would one need to wear fake breasts? Why would one need to wear makeup and all of the stereotypical things that women like? Not all women even enjoy makeup, so how does a man who wants to be a woman, decide these things? By that argument, isn't it just a feeling? Why change outward appearances then? Genuinely, I'm open to a conversation about this. But I can't stay silent on things that concern me. I think of my mother, and my sisters, and my niece, and all the women in my life that I love and honor. They are why I have to stand up and speak up.

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My mother is an amazing woman, and I say that mostly because of the strength and resilience she showed during many difficult times in her life. I rarely saw her cry, but instead watched how her quiet strength and dedication to her faith carried her through some tough situations. When I was younger, my mother considered me a “tomboy.” She saw that I enjoyed going to Home Depot and taking trips to the local dump with my dad. She knew I liked playing outside in the mud, and she knew I liked Playstation. She also understood that I loved Barbies and enjoyed painting my nails. As women, we can be everything and all the things we want to be – and no one can take that away from us.

When women like myself speak up about some of the concerning things happening in the most recent years, it makes me wonder, what happened to listening to and believing women? If a woman says she is uncomfortable because her space has been invaded by a man, shouldn’t we believe her? Or do we pick and choose depending on what fits the narrative at the moment? Why do we choose the feelings of a man over the safety of a woman? The feminists that claim they’re all about empowering women have been really silent on these things lately.

Women are not an idea or a feeling. We are a material reality.

Most third-wave feminists (these are the feminists of today, not the actual ones who fought for our rights) are the ones who are erasing women and their accomplishments…all in the name of feminism? With this anti-women woke obsession, we’re truly living in an upside-down world!

When women speak up, we’re told to shut up if it doesn’t go along with the given narrative being pushed onto us. We need to call this stuff out, and realize that something has to give – how can one say they care about women’s rights and yet go along with a narrative that says we need to cater to a confused man’s feelings about how he sees himself? Why are we applauding and welcoming our own erasure?

If a man loves the color pink and enjoys romantic comedies, does this make him a woman? Answering yes nullifies and dulls down the unique lived experiences of a biological woman. A woman is not just a feeling, it’s an entire epic journey. A man will not know what it’s like because it’s just not his lived experience, hard stop. If a man wants to identify as a woman, he can think of himself in that way, but that doesn’t change the reality of what he is. It is my freedom and choice to refuse to be manipulated and play along with someone’s feelings or their view of themselves – I choose to believe in facts and reality.

I also would be doing a disservice to anyone reading this if I didn’t bring this up… but I personally don’t quite understand the need to access women’s bathrooms and women’s spaces. I’m open to hearing from anyone who can explain this to me. It may be because there’s something a man may get out of being able to invade these spaces knowing that no one will stop him or say anything… isn’t this a very dangerous man, as he’s showing that he’ll go so far to feed into his “truth” that he’s willing to overstep boundaries and step into a woman’s space?

If you want to live your “truth”, don’t trample over others while doing so. I know the argument here might be “How is living their truth impacting your life in any way?” The answer is because their “truth” puts women in the awful position of having to straddle the lines of speaking up and advocating for their very existence, or be labeled a trans-phobe. That just sucks. Men and women are different and we need our own spaces. (Still unsure on this? Consider the importance of separating men and women when it comes to prisons. Why is no one talking about this? … again, another conversation for another time.)

Someone has to stand up for women. No one even asked women how they felt about this. And if we say “hey, we’re uncomfortable”, we’ll be called a bigot. It feels like it’s “women’s rights” as long as we shut up and agree with a man parodying us. I personally refuse to participate in the denial of reality. This is not giving hate. If calling out these things and telling the truth, and advocating for others to speak up for women and children is hate… we are extremely spiritually lost.

The other day I saw a woman with a shirt that on the front read “My biology is not a costume.” On the back it read “I’m not a “CIS” woman, I’m just a woman.” I like that. I don’t believe that men have the right to violate a woman’s privacy. I don’t believe that people have the right to impose and force certain ideologies onto others. Some say they are all for freedom of speech, except if it’s something they don’t like, then suddenly it’s “hate speech”. They say “Black Lives Matter”, but apparently not the ones in the womb. They say “my body, my choice” except when it comes to getting vaccinated. They preach and virtue signal how good they are, fearing the sun monster will kill us all if we don’t recycle, yet they look up to the Hollywood elite that hypocritically tells them what they should do about climate change while they are the ones galavanting around on their yachts and private jets. They say they’re against racism yet they openly hate white people. They say women’s rights are human rights, but then participate in the erasure of women by pushing trans ideologies on us.

Women don’t need men to shatter the glass ceiling for them, but here we are apparently. We’ve let men invade our spaces and have become so “inclusive” that we lack properly- guided discernment on how this has been more harmful than helpful.

I believe our society needs to return back to God. Once you know who you are and your worth in God, everything falls into place and the truth comes to light. It’s also just a lot easier living in the truth. Who wants to spend their precious time on this earth tip toeing on eggshells to avoid offending others? Are we really that soft? (Yes.)

I’ve gone on long enough now and I’ll close with this – in essence, being a woman is a profound and dynamic experience that goes beyond biological distinctions. It may be defined by our biology at the very basic level, but being a woman is a journey of self-discovery, strength, and empowerment, marked by the ability to navigate challenges, break stereotypes, and foster unity.

As societies continue to evolve, embracing and celebrating the diverse narratives of womanhood becomes imperative for building a more inclusive and equitable world. You were given by God the power and gifts that no man could ever have. Own it. Happy Women’s History Month, and although the conversation is far from over, I’m glad we had this talk. ~