Damsel in Distress

Fact: men and women are not equal in today's high-flying and modern world. Women are judged based on their appearance and sexuality, while men are not. And its not a harmless social norm. Research shows that the exploitation of female sexuality in the media has led to an excessive amount of rapes and other situations where women are taken advantage of. It's not a new concept. Viewing women as subordinate is a cultural stigma that has been around since the inception of the human race. From the days of the Puritans to even yesterday, feminists can easily argue that women have been oppressed through history. The problem is that it is still an integral part of our lives. Look at the Disney movies. Most of the heroines play the damsel in distress just waiting for their prince. This just encourages the idea that women are helpless and weak.
But contrary to popular belief women in history were not all subservient and subordinate, many of them managed success despite having to overcome sexual biases. Elizabeth Blackwell formed the Red Cross. Marie Curie made unparalleled discoveries in radioactivity. Other females have even taken advantage of their sexuality. Marilyn Monroe used her "weakness" and used it to succeed it in a male dominated industry. And even in more recent times, women like Madonna and Miley Cyrus continue to breakthrough cultural norms. They may get criticized but at the same time they achieve their goals.
If we want equality socially and politically we have to be willing to fight for it and go to extremes to challenge social stigmas. Yet it seems as if today, we play the damsel in distress, hoping that congress will come and grant us political equality and all its equal rights. We need to stop playing the victim of the male infested world and take charge. And while we scream for equality do we actually embrace it? Take a look at your personal life. Do you pay on dates? Do you ask guys out? Would you get down on one knee and propose to a man? Are you willing to get past an anti-feminist ideal? People tend to view these social traditions in a different light. No, many people say, romance is different. But is it really? Aren't we creating our own double standard? This double standard seems to be the problem. How can we complain that males judge us on appearance if we judge each other? How can we claim that women are empowered if we can't even run a Sadie Hawkins dance as a result of girls being to scared to ask guys? And looking at the women's draft created last year, how many so called feminists were happy about that? It seems as if many want the benefits without the strings attached. Trying to change the way women are seen in the world is no easy endeavor, but it starts by embracing all aspects of the feminine ideals. As Gandhi said, change begins with one person. So as you contemplate your commitment to the self righteous cause of female equality, you can ask yourself: How feminist are you really?