Be inspired!

Books for rebel girls, girls can rule the world

Be extraordinary.  Be qualified.

Be more than.

Be bold.

Be tough.

Make noise!

Aiming for equality but is it the right direction?

Why not an ordinary life, lived well with love and care?

The values I hear are Me me me

The time is right now!

No future thoughts for Planet Earth

And all she must endure.

Carefully construct your social profile.

Your image trumps reality

Anything charitable is part of your propaganda

In the 90s, we were told we could be ‘anything’…and looking back this actually had an unspoken but clear undertone: as long as it is not female.

It seems now this is still playing out, but with a weird fusion.  We are so superficially obsessed with gender that rather than celebrate what is actually female, we are fusing commercial-female into the mix.  And born-males can use this as a platform to raise their infamy, access grants and political spheres.  It is an extension of the ‘gold star’ men get for doing ‘women’s work’; caring for children, domestic chores or helping at school.

Meanwhile, actual adult female is still taboo.

A disturbing example, from my point of view, that highlights this is in the (supposedly empowering and inspiring) ‘graphic images’ of women shared to show birth.  Their breasts are covered (by swimwear or crop tops).  Their pubic hair is removed. Whilst on one hand these images may help inspire normal birth, or a better understanding of birth, the undertone of female-shame is there.

We simulaneously oversexualise and infantalise the female. We dress her up, groom  her, tell her it is empowering, paint her face, remove her body hair…and tell her to be educated, that she can be powerful. The glass might be broken, but she still needs to escape the gilded cage. And sacrifice the actual female parts of herself.

There is hope,  though.

There are growing numbers of people forging new paths.  Paths that are encouraging workplaces to reinvent themselves, acknowledging the importance of family for all the workforce.

A childless-by-choice person once moaned “why should my taxes pay for childcare rebates, or make room for parental leave, where are my perks?”.

My response to that: it is the children your workmates are raising that will care for you in old age.  They will be the ones joining the workforce to provide all that you take for granted.

Whilst you rise in the ranks of your profession,  those with children are ‘career limited’.  Society favours you.

I agreed the system needs to improve change.  It needs to value the unpaid care work.  But in our capitalust capitalist world driven by insurance companies, profitability and GDP. ..

Be In$pired!