WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A WOMAN? By Paige Thompson / @goodspxce and @paigethompsonnx

To be a woman is to be complex, in fact we’re all multifaceted creatures but to be a woman means to be misunderstood ¬ complexity is not an excuse in a woman’s world, we should be simple, clear as glass. To be a woman is to apply a man’s “version” or perspective to a woman’s life, forcing a mould which will never fit. It’s to recognise that living in this world, is to live in a world which is ultimately designed for men, by men ¬ even down to office buildings, public spaces etc. This subtle exclusion of women daily should fuel the fight against the patriarchy.

To be a woman is to be tough, resilient, loud, and strong. It is to be quiet, calm, shy, relaxed, and vulnerable! It is to be all these things at once, or none of the things, it is to be whoever you want to be. It is to be in awe of love, or to be repulsed by love ¬ to love only yourself, stuck up cow! Embrace your emotions, cry, or don’t, be cold, callous; if whoever you are is shaped by you and only you and not society’s idea of who women should be, then you’re free to be whoever you want to be and own it. Once you tune into who you really are, you will understand you’re much more capable than you have been led to believe for all these years.

To be a woman is to love unconditionally with falter because we’re human, to experience pain and heartbreak without shame, to be compassionate and understanding, to make mistakes and fail, to love children and to nurture, or to not. To never want children, to reject the misogynistic belief that women should complete the destined role of motherhood. You can make and leave and impression on this earth without having children, that is not your only form of identity.

To be a woman is to love sex and love orgasming, to embrace sexual liberation and freedom, of all kinds! To fight for equal education when learning about women’s sexual experiences as a young woman. To openly and loudly not stand for unwanted sexual advances and to fight for a world where we don’t have to change what we wear or fear another person’s actions!

To be a woman is to find friendships and sisterhood with so many other women that your heart expands at the achievements of women and doesn’t curl in bitterness ¬ to “fill your pockets” with wisdom and success of other women, to take parts of the amazing people you meet and cherish them. To be a woman is to not gaze at other women as competition, do not feed into the patriarchy… To be a woman is to understand that we’re all in this fight together but to recognise that all our fights may look different to one another’s, and that’s okay! Be an advocate for women however you want to be and don’t let anybody tell you that you’re doing it wrong!

To be a woman is to be so utterly and beautifully complex that we’re able to change and reform every day. To understand that you have identity outside of the way you look and you’re much, much more than what’s on the outside. To recognise there is love and beauty and strength within and all around, do not ever forget your significance on this earth.

To be a woman is to make the world go round.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Written work by Paige Thompson / Instagram: @goodspxce

Twitter / @paigethompsonnx

Paige is a 21 aspiring author based in England. Paige is also a film graduate who believes

“To be a woman is to be revolutionary"