Be Who You Want No Matter What You Are

Emma Watson, the new United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador has spoken a lot recently about the stereotypes of women. She speaks to how young girls are taught to want to be princesses and fairies. This general assumption does not always coincide with gender. More and more we see guys liking girls toys and movies and girls wanting to be worriers from a young age. Or at least I do when I babysit.

What I am saying here is that just because of what gender we were born into doesn't mean that we choose all the same interests as our given gender. If we stopped categorizing work as "a mans job" or "women's work" and let people work in the field that interests them we could capitalize on everyone's strengths.

I do not particularly call myself a feminist because the effects of this have not had impact on my life. Very rarely, if ever, does being a girl impact my opportunities. However I do notice the stereotypes in the adult/ working world. Also this is no longer confided to just females. Recently a movement of males who believe that they receive judgement for being more sensitive or "girly" makes them inferior have risen up. This group has materialized partially being called "bronies" which is specifically a group a grown men who like My Little Pony because it has good family values and a positive message. I think that we as a society need to stop thinking of people as defined by these predetermined gender and instead let people redefine what it means to be a man or a women.

~Sahale