woman is strong essay

The Real Definition of A Strong Woman

First and foremost, being a feminine woman requires an enormous amount of strength.

In a society where the traditional roles of a woman and things like focusing on motherhood are no longer as respected (at least in comparison to the career woman’s achievements and ambitions), it can feel impossible to just relax and not need to conform to modern ideals.

Ideals such as competing with men in their masculine domain, just to get to the top of the corporate world or workforce.

Every now and then I get an email asking me about femininity and how to be feminine whilst wanting to chase masculine ambitions.

Read: How Masculine Jobs Can Affect A Woman’s Beauty And Feminine Energy .

Sometimes I’ll get a woman telling me that my writing is an insult to women all over the world.

Well, let me say that I believe passionately in women’s rights. I believe in human rights.

I believe in rights in general (even though, post pandemic 2020, we really have to question whether any of us actually have rights in practice. Or are rights just an illusion?)

I would never promote something that is an insult to women, or something that marginalizes women.

I love that women have much more freedom now than they used to, and can work as well as provide for their children alone if they have to.

Despite that, I do not believe a woman’s worth should be judged by her “achievements” at university, school, in the workplace, in sports or her physical looks .

The real worth of a woman is much more than all of these things put together.

(And if you think I must be bias, just know that I have earned a Law degree as well as an arts degree myself!)

(Click here to take the quiz on “How Naturally Feminine Am I Actually?”)

Table of Contents

A Strong Woman Is Not What Society Tells Us It Is

Ironically, a strong woman is not what society tells us it is.

No woman is a strong woman because she got a degree. No woman is a strong woman because she got promoted. No woman is a strong woman because of her intellect.

No woman is a strong woman because she can do something just as well as a man can or even better than them.

No woman is strong because she’s an athlete. No woman is strong because she can lift heavy weights at the gym, or run fast (although I used to think so).

In today’s world, true strength lies in her ability to embrace her feminine core.

Yet, whilst she may be a high achiever, and whilst she may be very intelligent – her real strength is in her true femininity, and in her character.

QUIZ TIME: Are you truly living in your feminine energy? CLICK HERE to find out with my specially crafted 9 Question Quiz!

Are You A Strong Woman? Answer These Questions To See If You Are

A woman’s real strength is in her vulnerability (her ability to say yes to intimacy and be at one with the changing nature of life).

• Can she care for others? Can she care not only when it’s easy, but when it’s hard?
• Can she truly feel, rather than hide her feelings?
• Can she tell the truth, and influence people for the better? Can she influence without aggression? Can she influence without ego?
• Can she give without expecting anything back? Can she accept a man, and love his soul (shortcomings included) without trying to change him?

Whilst I have nothing against women working or playing sports (I train jiu jitsu and go to the gym regularly myself!)

All I’m saying is that this is not how a woman’s worth ought to be measured.

Here’s a video I made that teaches you how to be vulnerable (with examples)…

In looking for a message that sums up the strength of a woman simply, I found these precious words:

A strong woman is one who feels deeply and loves fiercely.

Her tears flow just as abundantly as her laughter.

A strong woman is both soft and powerful.

She is both Practical and Spiritual.

A strong woman in her essence is a gift to all the world.

It’s important that women spend time giving and enriching their relationships.

Women Are Taught To Compete To Be Worthy

….But being worthy is not the same as being truly strong.

To be strong, you can’t be fighting to be worthy. Instead you have to live in your knowing that you were born worthy!

Yes, we all need to learn about how to be a woman of value in the lives of those we love.

But this is not the same as worthiness; we are all born worthy! No matter how much we achieve or not not achieve.

Read also: Doing More Is Not The Hallmark Of A Good Woman.

We’re not always taught, in the “education” system, how to be great mothers, how to be great friends, great daughters, great girlfriends, great wives or great people!

We’re mainly taught how to do that equation, or how to write the best essay. Or how to be the ‘best’ at something. We’re led to focus on our own lives and achievements.

By all means, yes, we are taught to be ‘good people’ to the extent that we are encouraged to contribute to society and be philanthropists.

We’re also taught to be nice. But nice is not enough . It has to be accompanied with true care, and your willingness to truly invest in the people that you love.

Women Are Strong When They Are Able Be On The Same Emotional Page As Others

But, how can a woman ever be on the same emotional page as others, if we as a society encourage women to be worthy through achievement?

Being on the same emotional page, (or resonating with others and feeling the pain of others), is true strength.

But to have this strength, to truly understand the pain and suffering of others, and truly give to others, she has to be encouraged to feel and be a woman!

How can she do that if society as a whole ensures that women are not encouraged to feel their own pain and suffering?

How can a woman develop compassion, relate to other human beings, and live in her feminine core if everything is about getting the next thing done and getting the next thing done?

And then we go on to enter the work force. And whilst I think this is fantastic; that it’s great how women have so many opportunities – what about respecting what a truly feminine woman can give from her heart?

What about respecting her worth simply as a woman? Simply through her ability to love, and to feel?

After all, it is through her feeling that a woman’s depth of maternal instincts and nurturing can surface!

Read also: Should I Control My Emotions To Be High Value?

There needs to be a balance! A balance between the masculine and feminine energy inside of a woman.

( Read my article about why being one dimensional will cost you )

For a lot of women, our complexities (something that is at the heart of the feminine energy) are conditioned out of us, and we become like zombies …

Not really happy, and not really ‘alive’ and radiant like a woman truly should be , but not necessarily unhappy enough to do something about it.

How often have you been walking down the street, or sitting on the train, and people look like they’re machines? It’s particularly sad to see women like this.

Personally, I’d rather meet a woman who hates me than to meet a woman who is bland and dead inside. I like to see some kind of emotion; something human. Something womanly.

(There Are Exactly 7 Signs That A Woman is Perceived as Low Value to Men. Do You Know What They Are? (& How to Avoid Them Like the Plague)?   Click here to find out right now… )

Unfortunately, it’s very common to come across women who are more like robots.

I believe a strong woman should never be content with content. Women are a symbol of beauty; of femininity. And we ought to live enriching lives and bring LIFE, energy, love and hope wherever we go.

And, I believe that there needs to be more manly men, more masculine men to respect and love her for the contrast she brings to him; and for the many ways in which she completes him!

There are 17 Attraction Triggers. Click here to know more about these attraction triggers.

(By the way, I’ve just published my brand new program titled “Becoming His One & Only!”… Click HERE to find out more details and how you can get your man to fall deeper in love with you and beg you to be his one and only)

What is a strong woman to you?

P.S.  Connect with me on social media.

• Here’s  my Youtube Channel The Feminine Woman. 
• Here’s  The Feminine Woman Facebook page…
• Here’s my Instagram Pages  TheFeminineWoman  &  My Personal Instagram.

Renee is the founder of The Feminine Woman & co-founder of Shen Wade Media where we teach women how to show up as a high value high status woman whom easily inspires a deep sense of emotional commitment from her chosen man. She graduated with a bachelor of Law and bachelor of Arts majoring in sociology and psychology. She has been a dating and relationship coach for women in the past 15 years and together with her husband D. Shen at Commitment Triggers blog , they have positively influenced the lives of over 20 million women through their articles and videos as well as 10’s of thousands through paid programs through the Shen Wade Media platform.

Connect deeper with her work through the social media links below.

15 People Explain What It Means To Be A Strong Woman

• https://thoughtcatalog.com/?p=609165

1. She fights against expectations.

“A strong woman has an awareness of the obstacles in her way and the misogynistic expectations people have for her, but she decides for herself what she wants and works to achieve it. Furthermore, a strong woman is willing to find help or gain strength from supportive friends, family members, and mentors–despite the notion that women should be ‘independent’ and ‘do it all.'”

2. She bounces back.

“A strong woman keeps going on like she has never been hurt, despite having been.”

3. She knows who she is.

“A strong woman is self-aware. She continually tries to overcome her fears, she knows how to control herself, and she is patient no matter the situation. She isn’t afraid to reveal her feelings because we all have them, and she shows hers without caring what other people think.”

4. She is independent, but knows when to ask for help.

“Being a strong woman doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help. Hell, being a strong man doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help. Part of me thinks that women feel they have to overcompensate because so many peg them as these fragile, helpless creatures, when many of the women I know are stronger (be it mentally, emotionally, or physically) than many of the men I know.

Being a strong woman in my eyes means you’re someone who is realistic enough to know what you can do, is grounded enough to know when you need a hand, and is confident enough to know you can ask for help without fear of being judged.”

5. She follows her own path.

“A strong woman is someone who follows her own dreams rather than a man.”

6. She is unapologetic about who she is.

“A strong woman works hard, she chases what she believes in, and she does it all for herself. No one else. She loves endlessly and shows appreciation to those around her. Most importantly, she isn’t selfish, and once she makes it, she reaches back to help others.”

7. She’s a fighter.

“A strong woman is a woman who fights for rights she shouldn’t have to fight for.”

8. She’s perseverant.

“A strong woman gets up every time she falls. She pushes forward, even when all odds are against her. She doesn’t let others influence her decisions. She’s resilient.”

9. She is balanced.

“A strong woman knows when to be selfish and when to be selfless, when to follow her head and when to follow her heart. She has a good, stable head on her shoulders, and she knows when to play the hand she’s dealt and when to fold and hope the next one’s better.”

10. She doesn’t let others define her.

“A strong woman is a busy, vibrant, and goal-orientated woman who doesn’t wait for a man to validate her existence.”

11. She is grounded in her faith.

“A strong woman believes in whatever she believes in, and lets that faith guide her every step.”

12. She isn’t afraid to be true to her feelings.

“A strong woman is someone who isn’t afraid to share her opinions and speak her truth. She listens, but she doesn’t allow others problems to bring her down.

She is filled with kindness, generosity, compassion, integrity, a willingness to be vulnerable, and authenticity. No matter what she is true to herself.”

13. She respects herself.

“A strong woman doesn’t let the cattiness of other women bring her down. She has the utmost respect for herself and what she believes in.”

14. She is humble.

“A strong woman is confident, yes. But I think the best way to describe a woman’s strength is a sense of ‘confident humility,’ paired with faith and passion. By ‘confident humility’ I just mean someone that isn’t so humble that she comes across as weak. Rather, someone that can stay confident without getting arrogant.”

15. She loves.

Marisa donnelly.

Marisa is a writer, poet, & editor. She is the author of Somewhere On A Highway , a poetry collection on self-discovery, growth, love, loss and the challenges of becoming.

Keep up with Marisa on Instagram , Twitter , Amazon and marisadonnelly.com

More From Thought Catalog

Radiant Resilience: Navigating Beauty With Grace During A Crohn’s Flare-Up

6 Uplifting Movies About First Love That May Break Your Heart

Watching ‘Bridgerton Season 3’ I Realized… I Am Penelope Featherington

The 10 Most Anticipated Shows Of Summer 2024 You CAN’T Miss

‘Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2’ Is Better Than You Remember, Here’s Why

6 Ways Your Boyfriend Is Emotionally Cheating On You (And You Didn’t Even Realize It)

30,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Essay on Women Empowerment in English

• Updated on  
• May 3, 2024

Women empowerment is one of the most debated social topics. It means recognising the importance of gender equality, and women’s participation in decision-making and offering them equal opportunities in education, employment, others. Women empowerment talks about making women strong so that they can lead a healthy and prosperous life and contribute to the development of society. Today we will be discussing some sample essay on women empowerment, which will cover details like how can eliminate discrimination against women, challenge traditional gender roles, and promote equal opportunities for women in various aspects of life.

This Blog Includes:

What is women’s empowerment, essay on women empowerment in 300 words, most popular women in the world, need for women empowerment, how to empower women, essay on women empowerment in 150 words, useful tips to ace essay writing, essay on gender equality and women empowerment, role of education in women’s empowerment essay, women empowerment essays pdf, article on women empowerment in 100 words (bonus), article on women empowerment in 200 words (bonus).

Quick Read: Speech About Dreams

Long Essay on Women’s Empowerment

“A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Women empowerment refers to the practice of making women independent so that they can make their own decisions and take decisions without any familial or societal restrictions. In simple terms, it entitles women to take charge of their personal development. The patriarchal society has always deprived women of their rights.

The main motive of women’s empowerment is to help them stand equally with men. It is a foundational step to ensure the prosperous growth of a family as well as the country. By empowering women, the world would witness gender equality and help women from every stratum of society stand on their own and steer their lives as per their wishes.

Check out our 200+ Essay Topics for Students in English !

Women empowerment is the process of giving women the ability to live a happy and respected life in society. Women are empowered when they have unrestricted access to chances in a range of domains, such as education, profession, and lifestyle, among others. It involves things like education, awareness, literacy, and training to help them improve their position. It also involves decision-making authority. A woman feels powerful when she makes a significant decision. Empowering women is the most important factor in a country’s overall growth. If a household has just one earning member, while another family has both men and women earning, who will have a better standard of living? The solution is straightforward: a household in which both men and women work. As a result, a country where men and women work together grows more quickly.

‘Feminism does not aim to make women powerful. Women are already powerful. It is about influencing the way the rest of the world views your strength.” Women have always had fewer opportunities and possibilities to develop their talents and knowledge since ancient times. Although the world is made up of both men and women. But men were regarded as the family’s most powerful members. They were the family’s decision-makers and were in charge of making a living. Women, on the other hand, were believed to be responsible person for all home chores and child-rearing, and they were not engaged in making any important family decisions. The roles were assigned depending on gender. If we look at the whole picture, research shows that women’s subjects are either centred on their reproductive role and their body, or their economic position as workers. However, none of them is aimed at empowering women. Women’s Empowerment is a progressive technique of putting power in the hands of women for them to have a happy and respectable existence in society. Women are empowered when they have access to opportunities in several sectors, such as the right to an education, gender equality, a professional (equal wage) lifestyle, and others. However, there are no constraints or limitations. It involves training, awareness, and increasing their position via education, literacy, and decision-making authority. For the total growth of each country, women’s empowerment is the most essential sector. Previously, the men were the sole breadwinners in the household. Assume the household has one earning person; on the other side, suppose the family has both male and women earning members. Who will have a better way of life? The answer is simple: a household in which both the man and the woman work. As a result, when gender equality is prioritized, a country’s growth rate accelerates. Standing up for equality, women have empowered and spoken up for other women.’

Essay on Women Empowerment in 200 Words

‘Women’s empowerment encompasses more than just ensuring that women get their basic rights. In its truest form, women’s empowerment comprises the aspects of independence, equality as well as freedom of expression. Through this, the real strive lies in ensuring that we bring gender equality.

When given the right support, women have shone brilliantly in every field. Even in India, we have seen women handle diverse roles, be it a Prime Minister, Astronaut , Entrepreneur, Banker and much more. Further, women are also considered the backbone of a family. From domestic chores to nurturing children, they handle multiple responsibilities. This is why they are great at multitasking and often many working women efficiently juggle between professional and personal responsibilities. While the urban cities have working women, the rural areas have still restrained them to household chores. How can we aspire to prosper as a nation where every girl does not get access to education or make their own choices? India is a country where we worship goddesses while we don’t bother thinking about gender equality. 

Hence, for all our mothers, sisters and daughters we must aim at creating an environment of integrity. We must boost their confidence to make them capable enough to make their decisions in every phase of life and this is how we can strive towards bringing women empowerment.’

Recommended Read: Essay on Sustainable Development: Format & Examples

Popular women can play an important role when it comes to empowering other women. These influential women are aware of the difficulties faced by women in our society and can see their problems from their perspectives, as they have experienced similar situations. Nadia Murad Basee, a German human rights activist once said, “I want to be the last girl in the world with a story like mine.” Some other popular and influential women in the world are:

• Gloria Marie Steinem
• Malala Yousafzai
• Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Jane Seymour Fonda
• Betty Friedan
• Halima Aden

Quick Read: Speech About Life

Almost all countries, regardless of how progressive, have a history of mistreating women. To put it another way, women from all over the world have been defiant to achieve their current standing. While Western nations continue to make progress, third-world countries such as India continue to lag in terms of women’s empowerment. Women’s empowerment is more important than ever in India. India is one of the countries where women are not safe. This is due to a variety of factors.

Not only that, but horrific crimes against women such as rape, acid attacks, the dowry system, honour killings, domestic violence, and other forms of violence against women continue to occur throughout India. Women should account for 50% of the entire population. However, due to female foeticide practises, which are still prevailing in the rural and underprivileged sections of Indian societies, the girl-child population is rapidly declining, affecting the country’s sex ratio. Furthermore, the education and freedom scenario is extremely regressive in this situation.

Women are not permitted to continue their education and are married off at a young age. In certain areas, men continue to dominate women, as though it is the woman’s responsibility to labour for him indefinitely. They don’t let them go out or have any form of freedom and personal life. As a result, we can see how women’s empowerment is a pressing issue. We must equip these women with the tools they need to stand up for themselves and never be victims of injustice.

Also Read: Women’s Equality Day

Also Read: 2-Minute Speech on Holi

There is a wide range of approaches and methods to empower women. Individuals and the government must work together to achieve this. Girls’ education should be made obligatory so that they do not become illiterate and unable to support themselves.

Women, regardless of gender, must be given equal chances in all fields. Women empowerment may also be achieved through government-sponsored programmes as well as on an individual level.

On a personal level, we should begin to appreciate women and provide them with chances equal to males. We should promote and encourage them to pursue jobs, further education, and entrepreneurial endeavours, among other things.

To empower women, the government has implemented programmes such as the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana , and others. Apart from these programmes, we can all help women by eradicating societal problems such as the dowry system and child marriage. These simple actions will improve women’s status in society and help them feel more powerful.

Find Out How Falguni Nayar Made Nykaa a Beautiful Success

“To all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.” Hillary Clinton

Writing an essay on women empowerment? Check Out Top Women Entrepreneurs !

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” Madeleine Albright

Before we begin with the essay samples on Women’s Empowerment, take a look at the following tips you must keep in mind while drafting an essay: 

• Analyse the different topics carefully and pick according to your knowledge and familiarisation with the topic.  
• Plan your time wisely and bifurcate it for outlining, writing and revision. 
• Highlight/underline your key sentences for each paragraph.
• Emphasise your introduction and conclusion while also keeping the main body of the content as concise as possible. 
• Thoroughly revise it after completion.

Must Read: How to Write an Essay on Disaster Management?

“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong, it’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” G.D. Anderson

Women are taught to mould themselves based on others’ preferences and men are taught to lead because, at the end of the day, women have to manage household chores whereas men are the heroes saving their families and providing them financial support. This is the stereotype that has existed for centuries in India and one of the reasons women are denied basic human rights in society. A woman is denied the right to raise her opinions even in her household matters, political or financial viewpoints are far behind.  Women are born leaders and if given the opportunity can excel in every field. We live in a male-dominated society where a male has every right to do whatever he desires however thought in women’s minds is sacred. For centuries, women were not allowed to eat before men or sit in front of other men. Gender equality and women empowerment is a major concern globally. Gender equality starts with providing the same and equal resources of education to both genders. Education of girl child should also be a priority and not just an option. An educated woman will be able to build a better life for herself and the ones surrounding her. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for the growth of women in society. Women empowerment ensures that every female gets an opportunity to get an education, seek professional training, and spread awareness. However, gender quality will ensure that access to resources is provided equally to both genders and ensure equal participation. Even at the professional level women face gender inequality because a male candidate is promoted way before a female candidate. The mindset should be changed and only deserving candidates should be promoted. Gender quality is a key step towards sustainable development and ensures basic human rights for everyone.

Must Read: Essay on Scientific Discoveries

“A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.” Melinda Gates

‘Education is the biggest tool in women’s empowerment and also a factor that helps in the overall development of the country. Education can bring a change in women’s life. As the first prime minister of India once said “If you educate a man you educate an individual, however, if you educate a woman you educate a whole family.

Women empowered means mother India empowered” An educated woman will promote the education of other females around her, mentor them and also be a better guide to her children. Education helps women gain self-confidence, esteem, ability to provide financial support. Education will also help to reduce the infant mortality rate because an educated woman is aware of health care, laws, and her rights.

Educating a woman will benefit her and also the development of society. With proper education, women can achieve more socially, and economically and build their careers. Women are still being denied their right to education in rural parts of India. Education will also reduce child marriage which is still practised in some parts of India also help in controlling overpopulation.

The government has launched various schemes over the years to create awareness around women’s education such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan , Operation Black-Board , Beti Padhaoo Beti Bachao , and many more. Education helps women to identify the good and bad and change their outlook, way of thinking, and way of handling things. Education helps women to become independent. Indian women have the lowest literacy rate as compared to other countries.

Education is a fundamental right of all and no one should be denied the right to education. Education helps to meet the necessities of life, and confidence to raise a voice against domestic violence or sexual harassment. Be a part of a change and empower a woman with the help of education.’

Here is an Essay on Education System

“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” Michelle Obama

Women have been facing issues since the day they were born. Fighting for their rights, society’s stereotypes, and their freedom. Women’s Empowerment means encouraging women through education, at a professional level, accepting their opinions, and providing them with the right they desire. Women should not stay behind someone’s shadow and not be able to express themselves. The main motive of women’s empowerment is to give women a chance to outshine others and get equal rights in society. The first step of women’s empowerment is literacy. A well-educated woman is confident, outspoken, and able to make decisions. Especially in a country like India, If women get a chance to study they can be a prime minister like Indira Gandhi, IPS like Kiran Bedi , or become a famous CEO like Indira Nooyi .

The need for women’s empowerment has existed for a long time but only in the last few years, it has become popular. Women’s empowerment is not just a fight for equal rights. Women empowerment is the upliftment of women from a society constantly pulling them down. In a country like India where female goddesses are worshipped at the same time a woman faces sexual harassment, is denied the right to education, her voice is suppressed and becomes the next case of domestic violence. Indian society will only be able to evolve when they stop putting constant pressure on women and allow them to share their thoughts with others. A woman in India is restricted to household chores and taking care of family members. Women’s Empowerment is the need of the hour in India because awareness among women is important for them to understand their rights. If they are aware of their basic rights only then women will be able to fight for it. The first step towards women’s empowerment starts with supporting their opinions. Don’t mock them or bury their opinions. Boost their confidence and build their self-esteem. Encourage them to pursue their dreams, provide resources for help and be their mentor. Women have the ability not only to shape their lives but also to shape the world. Equal opportunities and the right to make their own decisions are the basics to start with women’s empowerment.

Women’s empowerment is desperately required in today’s cultures. It is critical for women’s self-esteem as well as for society. Women have the right to participate equally in education, society, the economy, and politics. Women may participate in society because they have the freedom to select their religion, language, employment, and other activities.

Women’s Empowerment is the process of providing women with all of the rights and amenities available in society so that they can live freely and without fear or limitation. Women should be granted the same rights as men in society, with no gender discrimination.

Female or women empowerment, according to Keshab Chandra Mandal, may be classified into five categories: social, educational, economic, political, and psychological.

The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a collection of Principles that provide businesses with direction on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community.

Improved female education leads to higher levels of economic growth because women spend 90%of their earnings back on their families, whereas males only invest 30-40% of their earnings. This is only one example of how women’s empowerment has a beneficial impact. Like this, there are several other benefits and positive sides of women’s empowerment

Gender Discrimination, Sexual Abuse and Harassment, Education, Child Marriage, etc.

Great social reformers in the past like  Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Acharya Vinobha Bhave and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar  etc abolished ghastly practices like sati and child marriage and worked relentlessly in the past for the upliftment of women in India.

Equal pay, financial independence etc are some examples of women empowerment.

In the Indian constitution, many provisions include women empowerment such as Article 15 which enables the state to make special provisions for women.

Related Essay Topics

This was all about an essay on women empowerment. We hope the above-listed essays will help you understand all dimensions of this important essay topic. For more information on such creative essay articles, visit our essay writing page and make sure to follow Leverage Edu .

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Women empowerment is a required demand for a better future of the country and the best picture.

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

30,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

5 Women Empowerment Essays Everybody Should Read

What does “women’s empowerment” mean? It refers to the process of giving women control over their choices and access to the opportunities and resources that allow them to thrive. While there’s been progress, gender inequality remains a persistent issue in the world. Empowering women politically, socially, economically, educationally, and psychologically helps narrow the gap. Here are five essays about women’s empowerment that everyone should read:

Women’s Movements and Feminist Activism (2019)

Amanda Gouws & Azille Coetzee

This editorial from the “Empowering women for gender equity” issue of the journal Agenda explores the issue’s themes. It gives a big picture view of the topics within. The issue is dedicated to women’s movements and activism primarily in South Africa, but also other African countries. New women’s movements focus on engaging with institutional policies and running campaigns for more female representation in government. Some barriers make activism work harder, such as resistance from men and funding, If you’re interested in the whole issue, this editorial provides a great summary of the main points, so you can decide if you want to read further.

Agenda is an African peer-viewed academic journal focusing on feminism. It was established in 1987. It publishes articles and other entries, and tutors young writers.

5 Powerful Ways Women Can Empower Other Women (2020)

Pavitra Raja

Originally published during Women’s History Month, this piece explores five initiatives spearheaded by women in the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship community. Created by women for women, these innovations demonstrate what’s possible when women harness their skills and empower each other. The initiatives featured in this article embrace technology, education, training programs, and more.

Pavitra Raja is the Community Manager for social entrepreneurs in Europe, North America, and Latin America. She’s consulted with the UN Economic Commission for Europe and also has experience in legal affairs and policy in the private and public sectors.

The Key to Improving Women’s Health in Developing Countries (2019)

Because of gender inequality, women’s health is affected around the world. Factors like a lower income than men, more responsibilities at home, and less education impact health. This is most clear in developing countries. How can this be addressed? This essay states that empowerment is the key. When giving authority and control over their own lives, women thrive and contribute more to the world. It’s important that programs seeking to end gender inequality focus on empowerment, and not “rescue.” Treating women like victims is not the answer.

Axa is a leading global insurer, covering more than 100 million customers in 57 countries. On their website, they say they strive for the collective good by working on prevention issues, fighting climate change, and prioritizing protection. The company has existed for over 200 years.

Empowering Women Is Smart Economics (2012)

Ana Revenga and Sudhir Shetty

What are the benefits of women’s empowerment? This article presents the argument that closing gender gaps doesn’t only serve women, it’s good for countries as a whole. Gender equality boosts economic productivity, makes institutions more representative, and makes life better for future generations. This piece gives a good overview of the state of the world (the data is a bit old, but things have not changed significantly) and explores policy implications. It’s based on the World Bank’s World Development Report in 2012 on gender equality and development.

Ana Revenga and Sudhir Shetty both worked at the World Bank at the time this article was originally published. Revenga was the Sector Director of Human Development, Europe and Central Asia. Shetty (who still works at the World Bank in a different role) was the Sector Director, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, East Asia and Pacific.

The Side Of Female Empowerment We Aren’t Talking About Enough (2017)

Tamara Schwarting

In this era of female empowerment, women are being told they can do anything, but can they? It isn’t because women aren’t capable. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. As this article says, women have “more to do but no more time to do it.” The pressure is overwhelming. Is the image of a woman who can “do it all” unrealistic? What can a modern woman do to manage a high-stakes life? This essay digs into some solutions, which include examining expectations and doing self-checks.

Tamara Schwarting is the CEO of 1628 LTD, a co-working community space of independent professionals in Ohio. She’s also an executive-level consultant in supply chain purchasing and business processes. She describes herself as an “urbanist” and has a passion for creative, empowering work environments.

You may also like

16 Inspiring Civil Rights Leaders You Should Know

15 Trusted Charities Fighting for Housing Rights

15 Examples of Gender Inequality in Everyday Life

11 Approaches to Alleviate World Hunger 

15 Facts About Malala Yousafzai

12 Ways Poverty Affects Society

15 Great Charities to Donate to in 2024

15 Quotes Exposing Injustice in Society

14 Trusted Charities Helping Civilians in Palestine

The Great Migration: History, Causes and Facts

Social Change 101: Meaning, Examples, Learning Opportunities

Rosa Parks: Biography, Quotes, Impact

About the author, human rights careers.

Human Rights Careers (HRC) provides information about online courses, jobs, paid internships, masters degrees, scholarships and other opportunities in the human rights sector and related areas.

Essay on Women Empowerment for Students and Children

500+ words essay on women empowerment.

Women empowerment refers to making women powerful to make them capable of deciding for themselves. Women have suffered a lot through the years at the hands of men. In earlier centuries, they were treated as almost non-existent. As if all the rights belonged to men even something as basic as voting. As the times evolved, women realized their power. There on began the revolution for women empowerment.

As women were not allowed to make decisions for them, women empowerment came in like a breath of fresh air. It made them aware of their rights and how they must make their own place in society rather than depending on a man. It recognized the fact that things cannot simply work in someone’s favor because of their gender. However, we still have a long way to go when we talk about the reasons why we need it.

Need for Women Empowerment

Almost every country, no matter how progressive has a history of ill-treating women. In other words, women from all over the world have been rebellious to reach the status they have today. While the western countries are still making progress, third world countries like India still lack behind in Women Empowerment.

Moreover, the education and freedom scenario is very regressive here. Women are not allowed to pursue higher education, they are married off early. The men are still dominating women in some regions like it’s the woman’s duty to work for him endlessly. They do not let them go out or have freedom of any kind.

In addition, domestic violence is a major problem in India. The men beat up their wife and abuse them as they think women are their property. More so, because women are afraid to speak up. Similarly, the women who do actually work get paid less than their male counterparts. It is downright unfair and sexist to pay someone less for the same work because of their gender. Thus, we see how women empowerment is the need of the hour. We need to empower these women to speak up for themselves and never be a victim of injustice .

How to Empower Women?

There are various ways in how one can empower women. The individuals and government must both come together to make it happen. Education for girls must be made compulsory so that women can become illiterate to make a life for themselves.

Women must be given equal opportunities in every field, irrespective of gender. Moreover, they must also be given equal pay. We can empower women by abolishing child marriage. Various programs must be held where they can be taught skills to fend for themselves in case they face financial crisis .

Most importantly, the shame of divorce and abuse must be thrown out of the window. Many women stay in abusive relationships because of the fear of society. Parents must teach their daughters it is okay to come home divorced rather than in a coffin.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Vote for Us In USA   TODAY’s Readers’ Choice Awards

Snag a Last Minute Getaway

Peep our BRAND NEW Yosemite Hiking Trip !!

11 Traits of a Strong Woman, Defined by Strong Women

Explorer Chick

March 17, 2016

At Explorer Chick , our mission is to empower women through adventure travel. The women who join our trips are mentally strong AF. All of them. Some know it, some are just realizing it, and some are still on their journey of discovering. But all of them, in one way or another, possess the 11 traits of mentally strong women. We see it in their faces when faced with a challenge. We hear it in their voices when encouraging a fellow Explorer Chick. We feel it is the energy they bring with them, whether it’s on a one-day trip or week-long epic adventure .

Although this list of traits was compiled based on research and expert insight, we also asked 11 real women to define what being a “strong woman” means. What sets the headstrong, get stuff done, living a happy life woman apart? What makes her tick? The answers are from women with different backgrounds, ages, careers, locations, families. Authors, professional athletes, firefighters, moms, daughters, sisters, aunts, and more. Ready to be inspired? We thought so.

1. She is courageous.

A strong woman faces challenges, stands up for herself and refuses to stay silent in the face of abuse of power. Scary? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely. Give fears the middle finger. Recognize your journey and stay the course. Identify what it will take to reach your goals, and what is keeping you from reaching them. Know when you need to push yourself, but also know when to walk away. A combination of passion, self-respect, tact and timing—along with a healthy dose of courage—is the secret sauce. Time to get cookin’, good lookin’.

Smile a lot, talk to strangers, accept all invitations, and eat everything you’re offered. Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises. Rita Golden Gelman, author of Tales of a Female Nomad  

2. She doesn’t depend on anyone else.

Strong women aren’t afraid of failure and trust themselves to handle their own financial, emotional, mental and physical well-being. Does this mean they don’t need anyone else in their lives? Of course not. In her article for Strong Women Strong Girls author Catherine Bailey notes, “[A strong woman] admits she doesn’t have all the answers. She is willing to be flexible and seek more information in order to better her life and sharpen her mind.” You’re here to conquer the world, not wait for it to revolve around you. Ask the tough questions, be an eager learner, pick yourself up when you fall, and keep taking care of business. (But first, go crank it up old school with Destiny’s Child “Independent Women, Pt. 1” and throw your hands up with Queen Bey. Deal?)

I think we like a good challenge. We recognize that most people are capable of more than they think and we like to test that; push ourselves to work harder and set bigger goals. I’ve come to realize that with a lot of effort and determination, I can accomplish anything that I put my mind to. So why stop now? Jamie Kmety

3. She knows who she is.

A strong woman’s self-love game is on-point, and she knows practice makes (almost) perfect. It’s not easy to look past perceived flaws and try to improve real ones. Keep trying anyway. Learn to love yourself, no matter what. Own your mistakes, learn from them, and move on FFS. Everyone suffers from self-doubt, but strong women recognize their negative thoughts prevent them from being their best, most badass self. In her article for CNBC.com (based on her book 13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do ), psychotherapist Amy Morin reminds us, “Your brain will doubt your competence, but don’t believe everything you think.”

Find your “why.” What sets the mentally strong and the driven females apart from the rest is they have found their “why.” By this I mean they have created goals or a purpose to push further whether it be in their work, athletics, home life, or any aspect of life. Once we find our “why” we can find purpose in even the most mundane of activities and see how it fits into the greater purpose of our lives. Often we find our “why” first in athletics, then transition that “why” into our other daily practices. Margaret Schlachter, founder of DirtInYourSkirt.com

4. She builds others up.

Kindness and compassion aren’t for sissies. Strong women don’t see these traits as weaknesses, they see them as opportunities to connect with others. Mean girl behavior is for the mentally weak, and you’re striving for Wonder Woman-level mental strength here. Show unconditional love and support because it’s a win/win. By lifting up others, we’re more likely to reach our own goals and succeed.

Plus, positive mental health is catching. You don’t need to force it on anyone. When you give out happy, kind, wise and strong vibes, others feel it. Not only will they look up to you, they’ll want to know how they can feel that way, too. In another article on traits of mentally strong women for Forbes Morin states, “Mentally strong women know that strength has a ripple effect, yet they don’t lecture, nag, or beg people to change. Instead, they lead by example. And their energy in creating the strongest version of themselves often inspires others to follow their lead.”

Strong women build other women up and rejoice in their successes, as opposed to seeing others as a threat. Liz Hamilton

5. She doesn’t see showing emotion as a weakness.

There’s no crying in baseball. Or the boardroom. Or anyplace, really—except maybe hiding under your covers or in a stall in the ladies’. Yeah, yeah. We get it. But strong women know there is a time and place for vulnerability and emotion. Now, hold up. This isn’t a free pass to go all runny-nose-and-mascara crazy on everybody. Instead, understand that you shouldn’t berate yourself (or other women) for having and sharing emotions.  It’s okay to speak your mind; to let out your frustration and concerns in a healthy way. Feel those feelings, and allow others to feel theirs, too. Putting yourself out there takes an incredible amount of strength and courage!

There are going to be set backs in life where you get knocked down, but sitting there and crying isn’t an option. Not that you can’t cry (and take your time doing it), but you HAVE to get back up and find a new way if that is what is needed. Heidi Brown

6. She follows her intuition and doesn’t overthink everything.

Turns out that little voice of yours is one smart cookie. Why? Because who knows what’s best for you better than—well—you? According to the Power of Positivity , “Strong women don’t listen to any voice in their life but their own. They only follow their own gut, because no one knows better than them what they truly want and need in life.” Not only that, but overthinking can lead to depression and a lack of action altogether. And that’s no fun. You’ve been doing you for awhile now, so trust yourself. (And is anyone else now trying not to overthink “cookies” right now? Guess that means it’s time to listen to your gut and head to the kitchen.)

It doesn’t occur to us that we CAN’T do it! Jasica Redwine

7. She is truly happy, and knows what it takes to make her own happiness.

That tricky brain of ours may tell us the key to happiness is lots o’ moolah, maintaining the “correct” weight and having #allthethings, but strong women know better. They know true happiness comes from positive mental strength, not who has the most toys or plastic surgery. Remember happiness is a choice, and a state of well-being that takes constant practice. Read up on it, listen about it, heck— take a class and learn the science behind it ! Find your joy boosts: maybe it’s listening to the rain gently patter on your tent , or spending time caring for animals. Whatever they are, recognize them and recall them when you’re feeling stressed. Figure out your happy and go create it for yourself!

A strong woman knows what makes her happy. She takes that happiness and deeply buries the roots to protect it from ill weather, heavy rain, and strong winds (metaphorically speaking). She shares her happiness with everyone, but is quick to protect it from those who chose to do it wrong or try to uproot it. She makes decisions that cultivate the life that makes her happy with courage, dedication, and perseverance . She leans in. Oh, and of course she puts positive energy into the Universe, asking nothing in return. Nicki Bruckmann, CEO of Explorer Chick

8. She owns her successes and believes in herself.

During World War II Rosie the Riveter reminded women that, “We can do it!” Yet we’re notoriously bad about minimizing our achievements and feeling like we don’t have what it takes. (What gives, extra X chromosome?) In fact, according to a study covered in Harvard Business Review , women won’t apply for a job unless they’re 100% qualified (compared to men, who will apply despite being only 60% qualified). Enough already. Strong women trust their abilities and are proud of their wins. Rejoice in your own and share them! Your ambition is not a threat, and making yourself small is not the healthy way to make someone else feel big.

I’ve never given up in my life so far and I definitely won’t stop now. It’s making the difficult choice—because the easy choice isn’t an option. We are striving—not for perfection—but to be the best versions of ourselves we can possibly be. Believing in ourselves and our dreams when no one else does. It’s not about proving others wrong—but more so about proving ourselves right. Pushing ourselves to the limit and once we get there—pushing even harder beyond them. Brooke Van Paris, competitor on “American Grit”

9. She doesn’t let the opinions of others influence her.

Rejection. Criticism. Rinse. Repeat. Ah, the cringey moments on which life sometimes seems to be built. We’ve all had to endure moments of being told we aren’t ________ enough. But what sets mentally strong women apart is their ability to bounce back from the icky moments. They know how they feel about themselves, and they’ll be damned if they’ll let others limit their potential. Don’t let anyone else’s opinion hold you back. You’re like super-bougie French enamel cookware, baby. Nothing sticks to you.

As Don Miguel Ruiz says in his book The Four Agreements , “Nothing other people do is because of you…whether it has an effect on you positively or negatively. All people live by their own beliefs and worldview. Therefore, do not take anything personally.” Taking things personally is making an assumption that other people live by your same beliefs and worldview. I do believe there is a healthy balance when dealing with this concept…especially when you involve people in your life on a deeper level, but I think it’s a great philosophy to remember in any interaction. It has helped me SO much with all of my relationships and has shown me the freedom I have to create the life I want to live. Heather Larsen, professional highliner and slackliner

10. She doesn’t feel bad about breaking societal rules or reinventing herself.

Nope, the rules don’t apply to strong women. Not the one society has set for them anyway. Blindly adhering to typical gender roles and cultural expectations is toxic and can stunt your personal growth, and it’s big girl-sized panties or busts. That means owning who you are and doing whatever it takes to be your very best. Wanna change careers at 35? Do it. Reinvent yourself at 60? Go for it. This is your life journey, and it’s the only one you get. Make the most of it! The backtracking and wrong turns—the mistakes—are part of it. No one says you have to “be” this or “be” that just because you’re a woman. Follow your heart; it knows the way to your True North.

You can be status quo and make it through life, or you can stand out and make something from your life. I’ve never had an easy road in life, but it’s always made me wiser, tougher and more determined in the end. Whenever I get knocked down or feel like falling apart, I put that energy towards volunteering instead. (It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re helping someone else!) I worked towards a goal of becoming the first female firefighter on two local departments, and I did it despite all the doubt and negativity thrown at me. Being that strong, independent, badass woman means ignoring the haters, breaking down barriers, and going after your bliss no matter what obstacles come your way. Natasha Fischmer

11. She continually works on being a better, stronger Strong Woman.

“Do you even lift?” (That’s your body talking to your brain, bruh.) Whether you dance it out, bike it out, lift it out, run it out, or hike it out—you need to make sure you’re working your mental muscles just as hard as your physical ones. Strong women never quit challenging themselves to be the best, most BAMF they can be. They kick bad habits to the curb—over and over again—no matter how many times it takes. They believe in progress, not perfection. So believe in your inner strength. Know you’re growing and changing in ways you can’t exactly show off on Insta. “Be willing to face your fears and step up to the plate,” says Morin. “Challenge yourself to grow a little stronger every day and you’ll build confidence in your ability to do hard things.”

I don’t think strong women see themselves as strong. I think they just have a “never say die” attitude. It’s not because they are always the best, but they build everyone else up around them. They don’t just build villages, they build armies of change that make the world better. When things get tough they laugh louder and push harder. Cheryl Drury, Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) athlete

Eager to meet strong, like-minded women just like you? Join us on an adventure !

Wanna Meet Strong Women? Join A Trip ????

7 DAYS, ALASKA

6 DAYS, CANADA

8 DAYS, CROATIA

4 DAYS, TENNESSEE

4 DAYS, NEVADA

4 DAYS, UTAH

5 DAYS, WASHINGTON

8 DAYS, SCOTLAND

7 DAYS, WYOMING

Sign up for the latest trips and special offers!

Related posts.

Those who have hiked Half Dome already know the absolute magic of the entire journey. But training for half dome is essential.

Backpacking, Hiking, Inspiration, National Parks, North America, Training, United States, Yosemite National Park

Inspiration, Self Discovery

Backpacking, Hiking, How To

17 Empowering Poems About Strong Women

Get ready to be inspired by the resilience and power that emanates from the poems ahead. 

We've curated a collection of verses that showcase the incredible spirit of strong women from all walks of life . 

These poems capture their unwavering determination, fearlessness, and relentless pursuit of their dreams as they conquer challenges and break boundaries. 

Allow these words to uplift and embolden you as they pay homage to the indomitable spirit of women who refuse to be held back.

Why You Should Read Women's Empowerment Poems

1. beware, honey by sandra cisneros, 2. still i rise by maya angelou, 3. won't you celebrate with me by lucille clifton.

• 4. It’s your flaw I want to taste, by Lora Mathis

5. Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

• 6. Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why), by Nikki Giovanni

7. Ain't I a Woman? by Sojourner Truth

8. the courage that my mother had by edna st. vincent millay, 9. the journey by mary oliver, 10. the applicant by sylvia plath, 11. i, being born a woman and distressed by edna st. vincent millay, 12. sadie and maud by gwendolyn brooks, 13. her kind by anne sexton, 14. fire by nikita gill, 15. when you fall for a man who could never love you by aman batra, 16. to the indifferent woman by charlotte anne gilman perkins, 17. the kindest words by rumi kapur, final thoughts.

Delving into the world of women empowerment poems offers a transformative experience that can reshape your perspective on strength, resilience, and the indomitable spirit of women. 

Here's why you should immerse yourself in these dynamic and relevant verses:

• You'll be inspired by the stories of courageous women who have overcome adversity, reminding you of your own inner strength.
• You'll connect with shared emotions , experiences, and challenges that create a sense of unity and sisterhood.
• You'll gain valuable insights into the struggles and triumphs of women from diverse backgrounds, promoting empathy and understanding.
• You'll discover powerful voices in poetry that challenge societal norms and expectations, empowering you to question the status quo.
• You'll find motivation and encouragement in the face of your own obstacles, drawing from the strength of the women depicted in these poems.

4. It’s your flaw I want to taste , by Lora Mathis

More Related Articles

31 Romantic Morning Poems For Her

15 Moving Poems About Letting Go

23 Poems About New Beginnings

6. Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why) , by Nikki Giovanni

(Note: This poem, originally a speech given by Truth in 1851, highlights the strength and resilience of women, particularly Black women, in the face of adversity.)

Through these powerful works of poetry, we witness the raw and unbridled strength of women who face adversity head-on. These poems echo with the voices of those who have overcome obstacles, shattered glass ceilings, and defied the odds. 

They serve as a testament to the unwavering courage and resilience that lie within every woman. So let these poems be a guiding light in your own journey towards empowerment and inspire you to reach new heights.

12 Lessons in Strength and Resilience from Remarkable Women

In the wake of the pandemic and growing social unrest, we are facing unprecedented challenges and uncertainty. It is a time that requires us to draw from our deepest reserves of strength and resilience, not just to be able to face our own personal challenges but also so that we find the energy and fortitude to help others and create the change we want to see in the world.

During my over two decades as a journalist, I have been fortunate to interview a wide range of incredible and powerful women, all of whom have had to overcome a variety of obstacles in their lives and have important and inspiring wisdom to share. What I have found through my conversations is that being “strong” is not some measure of our physical strength or being “perfect” or “tough.” True strength and courage comes from allowing ourselves to be open and vulnerable, reaching out for help or joining forces with others, falling down and getting back up, and using our strength and influence to support others who are most in need.

I decided to cull through my interviews for quotes that could help us all find courage, hope, and resilience to cope with whatever we are facing in our lives—and the inspiration to work together and support each other as we do the urgent and necessary work toward creating a better world.

1. Tap Into Your Courage

“I would encourage us to try our best to develop courage. It’s the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can be anything erratically—kind, fair, true, generous, all that. But to be that thing time after time, you need courage.”

MAYA ANGELOU, 1928-2014 Poet, Writer, Civil Rights Activist

“There is no one way to [find the courage to face your fear]. I think it just comes from knowing, acknowledging the fact that it is scary but then kind of taking a deep breath, swallowing hard, and just doing whatever that is anyway. There is no easy way—just do it. It’s just one of those things that comes with the fortitude of like, ‘Okay, I have to do it. So I am just going to acknowledge the fact that this is how I am feeling about it, but it is not going to stop me.’ I am really trying to encourage people to do what feels scary.”

LUVVIE AJAYI Writer, Speaker, Activist, Curator of  LuvvNation

“I always push the envelope. I don’t want to be caught in the same place for very long, and any time I feel frightened of doing something, that usually means I better get in there and do it.”

SALLY FIELD Award-winning Actress, Director

2. Hold Onto Hope

“People should never give up—there is always hope…. If we all give up hope and do nothing, then indeed there is no hope. It will be helped by all of us taking action of some sort. Cumulatively, our small decisions, choices, and actions make a very big difference.”

JANE GOODALL Primatologist, Author, Speaker, Founder of the  Jane Goodall Institute  and  Roots & Shoots

“Hope is hard. It’s painful. It requires patience and it’s erratic in its delivery, but it’s the most sustainable source of change and improvement possible. So I hold to two ideas: the first is hope, and the second is fight. Both have to be real and true, but they need help, and that means we have to fight for what we want. And I think with those twin obligations—the painful power of hope and the remarkable, sustainable nature of fighting—we can get things done.”

STACEY ABRAMS Political Leader, Author, Founder of  Fair Fight  and  Fair Count

“I think right now it takes courage to live a life of hope.”

LOUNG UNG Author, Activist, Public Speaker, Screenplay Writer

3. Let Yourself Feel Fear

“Being brave is not being unafraid but feeling the fear and doing it anyway. When you feel fear, try using it as a signal that something really important is about to happen.”

GLORIA STEINEM Feminist Activist, Speaker, Writer, Cofounder of  Women’s Media Center  and  Equality Now

“It’s okay to be afraid. Fear is normal and real and, in its own way, healthy.”

STACEY ABRAMS Political Leader, Author, Founder of  Fair Fight  and  Fair Count  

“Stop assuming there is a point at which you won’t be afraid. You’re always afraid. Courage is fear management; it’s not the lack of fear. So, first of all, accept the fear, invite it in, get used to how it feels. Fear is only damaging when it dictates our behavior. So you weigh things against how important your fear is to you, how debilitating your fear feels. You just check in with that every so often and make sure you understand the impact of what you’re doing, and it gives you strength to keep going.”

ABIGAIL DISNEY Activist, Philanthropist, Award-winning filmmaker 

4. Join Forces with Other Women

“Sisters: talk to each other, be connected and informed, form women’s circles, share your stories, work together, and take risks. Together we are invincible.”

ISABEL ALLENDE Novelist, Feminist, Founder of the  Isabel Allende Foundation  

“It’s so important that [women] look each other in the eye and go, ‘What’s happening is not okay, and we are not alone in trying to shift it. We are not alone in our pain, and we are not alone in transforming our pain into power. We’re all doing it, and we support each other in doing it.’”

KERRY WASHINGTON Actress, Activist, Executive Producer of  The Fight  Documentary 

“Creating community and safe spaces with other women, where we can share our stories and people can recognize that they’re not alone, is absolutely essential. You can cultivate courage on your own, but a lot of courage happens through connection and relationship with others. For me, it’s been incredibly inspiring to bear witness to women who, against all odds, assert the dignity of their work and their right to be recognized for the work that they do for families. That takes so much courage and is a huge source of inspiration and strength. At the end of the day, all of us need other people to inspire us and give us strength.”

AI-JEN POO Executive Director of the  National Domestic Workers Alliance , Co-director for   Caring Across Generations  and a Cofounder of  Supermajority

5. Be Optimistic

“You have to stay optimistic. You do sometimes feel very discouraged, but it’s also very important to remain optimistic and to see the silver lining in everything you do. Sometimes things look difficult, like there is no hope, but there is always a small glimmering of silver lining that is in everything.”

WANGARI MAATHAI, 1940-2011 Kenyan Environmental Activist, Nobel Laureate, Founder of  The Green Belt Movement

“What kept me positive? For one, being bitter is exhausting. I’ve done that. I held it in my shoulders, back, stomach, and face. I aged. I hurt. I cramped. It was no fun. . . . The anger might have kept my body going, but without love, the soul would have just slowly crumbled and burned. It was the love that kept the soul going. So I think to be fully alive, you need both a healthy body and a loving soul.”

“You can only be optimistic, because I don’t really know how you’d wake up in the morning if you felt pessimistic. It’s obviously easy to feel that way with the news—you can watch the news, and it feels like it’s the end of the world, very apocalyptic. So I just stay away from the news and try to find people around me who are doing positive things and look to them.”

NATALIE PORTMAN Award-winning Actress, Activist, Ambassador of Hope for  FINCA International

6. Lift Up Marginalized Voices

“The most important [leadership quality] is the ability to connect with the problems of people who are not like you—those who have been underserved by government historically, who don’t enjoy the privileges that you do. So the ability to really connect with those people and design policies that will include their well-being—with an understanding that as they go, so goes the rest of the country—I think that is important and may be the most critical characteristic of a leader today. Because so often those are the people who are not going to be represented by a lobbyist or a very important vocal donor, so those are the interests that can get lost.”

ANITA HILL Attorney, Professor, Activist, Chair of  The Hollywood Commission

“If you decide, ‘I will not stay in rooms where women are belittled; I will not stay in company where races, no matter who they are, are belittled; I will not take it; I will not sit around and accept dehumanizing other human beings’—if you decide to do that in small ways, and you continue to do it, finally you realize you’ve got so much courage. Imagine it: you’ve got so much courage that people want to be around you. They get a feeling that they will be protected in your company.”

MAYA ANGELOU,  1928-2014 Poet, Writer, Civil Rights Activist

“Women view power differently. It’s not power over; it’s power with. It’s about empowering others. It’s not hierarchical; it’s circular.”

JANE FONDA Actress, Activist, Founder of  Fire Drill Fridays , Cofounder of  Women’s Media Center

7. Speak Out

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT First Female Secretary of State

“So many people are afraid to speak out; they’re afraid to ruffle feathers. But we have to. Every voice counts and that voice needs to be heard. And by not using your voice, you’re doing a disservice, not only to yourself, but to the community and the world at large. You have a responsibility to all of us. We need your help. I think girls and women are our heroes, and they need to start seeing themselves as our heroes and to come help us out of the mess that we’re in.”

JENNIFER SIEBEL NEWSOM Filmmaker, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of  The Representation Project

“You can’t please everybody, so you might as well just speak the truth. That’s all your job is: to speak the truth. If nothing else because at least you know that you were authentic to yourself, and at the end of the day you have to basically answer to yourself, not anybody else. . . . I don’t think we can afford to be silent anymore. I think it is expensive to be quiet sometimes. I think it costs us more to be quiet than it does to speak up.”

8. Take Action to Create Change

“I don’t think it matters who you are, where you come from, or where you want to make your impact. You can make your impact on your neighborhood block. You can make your impact on your local school board. You can make your impact on any issue that you think is important. But the promise is, because you think it’s important, it is important. Women’s views and their values are important, and as they communicate their views and values, they will change outcomes. And it could be as local as their block, or as important as a national debate. It’s important to be a voice for the cause that you’re fighting for. I think all of us can use our voices to be as powerful as they can be on any issue that we think is important.”

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND New York Senator, Founder of  Off the Sidelines

“Take the tools and the skills and the resources of every kind that you have and go out, find something that you know is not fair, is not just, and begin to change it. In whatever way you know, in whatever way is appropriate for you, but don’t ignore it. Don’t think it’s somebody else’s job to change it. Confront it in your own way, and make it your job to make change.”

“My experience is, when I start flexing my activist muscles, when I start to do something that is bigger than me that is helping a bad situation, I tend to not be depressed anymore. I tend to feel empowered. So my advice is always do something to help.”

9. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks and Fail

“I always go back to my grandmother’s advice to me, which was the first time I fell and hurt myself. She said to me, ‘Honey, at least falling on your face is a forward movement.’ And that came back to me many times as I failed to get the job or failed to do things perfectly or whatever. You have to be willing to be brave enough to risk falling on your face, to risk failing. Everything we do is about taking risks.”

PAT MITCHELL Media Executive , Author, Editorial Director of  TEDWomen  

“Here’s one thing that I worry about: we’re not willing to make mistakes. We’re very nervous about making a wrong move and we worry that if we make the wrong move, then the consequences will mean that we never recover from them. It’s okay—in fact, it’s better than okay—to make mistakes, really big mistakes sometimes. So I would want to say to young women, ‘Hey, run for office, even if you think you’re going to lose. Take a hard class, even if you’re going to get a C in it. Go ahead and follow love, even if it doesn’t work out.’ We need just a little bit of courage to make mistakes, because that strikes me as where all the good stuff happens.”

MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY Author, Public Speaker, Professor, Founding Director of the  Anna Julia Cooper Center

“How have [my successes and failures] taught me? They are me. All my failures and all my successes as a mother and as a daughter and as a professional are me. I am a reflection of all of it. I reach out and sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail. If I fail or get hurt, I pick myself up.”

10. Be Authentic and Vulnerable

“I think vulnerability is power. I like vulnerable and open people, and I think when you’re that way, you are actually being very brave. By presenting the real truth of yourself, who you really are, you change the molecules in the room.”

AMY POEHLER Actress, Writer, Producer, Cofounder of  Smart Girls

“Be your authentic self. Authenticity is everything. Think of what you have to offer and how unique that is.”

NANCY PELOSI Speaker of the House of Representatives

“There’s a saying that says, ‘To thine own self be true.’ I really think there’s so much more to that than meets the ear or meets the eye. I just think you really have to know who you are—come to terms with that, accept that and love that, and understand your talents, what your gifts may be, and how to develop them. If you’re comfortable with yourself and know yourself, you’re going to shine and radiate and other people are going to be drawn to you.”

DOLLY PARTON Singer-songwriter, Founder of the Dollywood Foundation and  Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

11. Live in the Present Moment

“It’s a courageous act to just be with whatever is happening at the moment—all of it, the difficult as well as the wonderful.”

EILEEN FISHER Fashion Designer, Founder and Chairwoman of  EILEEN FISHER, Inc. , Co-creator of the  Eileen Fisher Leadership Institute

“Surfing your life is this idea of finding your center of balance, and then realizing that ‘nothing gold will stay.’ The sooner you realize that everything changes—that the things that happen to you are not you and that everything will be different all the time and you have such little control over the next wave, then you’ll just stay in the moment, find your gravity, and be open to what’s coming. Just don’t turn your back on the wave—it’s coming, no matter what; you can’t hide from it. So face the waves, try to catch one, and ride it.”

“I would say that I’ve reached a really joyful stage that allows me to be fully present in every moment and to appreciate every person, every encounter, every moment in such a way that I feel so full of life.”

OPRAH WINFREY Media Mogul, Philanthropist

12. Trust that You Will Come Out Stronger

“Katharine Hepburn once said to me, ‘I’ve learned more from my failures,’ and it’s true: you learn. Somebody else said, ‘God doesn’t look for awards and accolades. God looks for wounds and scars.’ Most of us are wounded. I would wager that every single person carries wounds. And it’s through those wounds that we can blossom.

Don’t give up that effort to learn from your wounds and your scars. All we can do is try to take it from here and learn and grow from it. We can’t undo the wounds; they’re there, and we just let them teach us and let the wounds make us better people.”

“Some people are born with confidence. Some people are imbued with it based on their circumstance. But for a lot of us, confidence is borne of tragedy and disappointment, and the realization that we can still do more; it’s borne of resilience.”

“Look what you’ve already come through! Don’t deny it. You’ve already come through some things that are very painful. You have gone through some pain; it cost you something, and you’ve come through it. So at least look at that. Have the sense to look at yourself and say, ‘Well, wait a minute. I’m stronger than I thought I was.’”

The majority of the above material is excerpted from Marianne Schnall’s books  Leading the Way: Inspiring Words for Women on How to Live and Lead with Courage, Confidence, and Authenticity  and  Dare to Be You: Inspirational Advice for Girls on Finding Your Voice, Leading Fearlessly, and Making a Difference .

Essay on Being A Woman

Students are often asked to write an essay on Being A Woman in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Being A Woman

Understanding womanhood.

Being a woman is a unique experience that varies greatly across cultures. It involves biological aspects like menstruation and childbirth, and social roles like motherhood. Women are often seen as nurturing and empathetic, qualities that contribute to their roles in families and communities.

Challenges Faced by Women

Women face specific challenges such as gender inequality. This means they sometimes get less pay for the same work as men or fewer opportunities. In some places, women’s education is not valued, limiting their potential. It’s important to fight for equal rights for women.

Strengths of Women

Women are strong, resilient, and adaptable. They can manage multiple roles at the same time, like being a mother, a wife, and a professional. Women also have the power to bring new life into the world, a unique ability that deserves respect.

Women’s Contributions

Women have made significant contributions in all fields, from science to arts. They have proved that they are not less than anyone. Women like Marie Curie in science, Virginia Woolf in literature, and Malala Yousafzai in activism have made remarkable impacts.

Being a woman is a unique journey filled with both challenges and joys. Women are strong, capable, and valuable members of society. Recognizing women’s contributions and advocating for their rights is essential for a balanced and fair world.

250 Words Essay on Being A Woman

What is a woman.

A woman is an adult human female. Just like men, women play many roles in society. They can be daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers. They can also be doctors, teachers, astronauts, or anything they want to be. Women are strong, brave, and kind. They have the power to create life, which is a very special thing.

Women’s Roles

In the past, women were often expected to stay at home and take care of the family. They cooked, cleaned, and looked after the children. Today, many women still do these things. But they also work outside the home. They can be leaders in their jobs and make important decisions.

Equality for Women

Women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. This is called gender equality. It means that women should be paid the same as men for doing the same job. They should also have the same chances to learn and grow. Everyone should respect women and treat them fairly.

Women sometimes face challenges because they are women. They might not be treated fairly at work or school. They might be expected to act in certain ways because they are women. These things can be hard. But many women are working to change this. They are fighting for their rights and for the rights of other women.

Being a woman is a special thing. Women are strong and capable. They can do anything they set their minds to. It’s important to respect and value women for who they are and what they can do.

500 Words Essay on Being A Woman

Introduction.

Being a woman is a unique journey filled with a variety of experiences and emotions. It is about strength, compassion, and resilience. It involves roles that range from being a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and much more. Each stage of a woman’s life brings different challenges and joys.

The Role of a Woman

The role of a woman is not limited to one aspect of life. Women are leaders, teachers, caregivers, scientists, artists, and more. They contribute to society in many ways. They handle multiple tasks at once, balancing work, family, and personal life. They show us that it is possible to be strong, kind, and successful at the same time.

Being a woman also comes with its set of challenges. Women often face inequality, discrimination, and violence. They are sometimes treated as less important than men, both at home and in the workplace. They may be paid less for the same work, or not given the same opportunities. They also face pressures related to beauty and body image. These challenges can be hard, but they also make women stronger and more resilient.

The Strength of a Woman

Women are often seen as the weaker sex, but this is far from the truth. Women are strong, both physically and emotionally. They endure pain during childbirth, work tirelessly for their families, and fight for their rights. They stand up against injustice and make their voices heard. They show us that strength is not just about physical power, but also about courage, determination, and the will to never give up.

Women Empowerment

Empowering women is important for the growth of society. When women are educated, they can contribute more to their communities. They can make informed decisions about their health and their future. They can also help to raise the next generation of leaders. Empowered women can break the cycle of poverty and bring about positive change in the world.

Being a woman is a unique and special experience. It involves joy, pain, strength, and resilience. Women face many challenges, but they also have many strengths. They contribute to society in countless ways and their empowerment is key to a better future. Despite the struggles, being a woman is something to be proud of. It is about embracing the journey, with all its ups and downs, and celebrating the power and beauty of womanhood.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Being An Artist
• Essay on Being Alone At Home
• Essay on Being Selfless

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Engineering
• Science & Mathematics
• Arts & Social Sciences
• Business Admin. & Accountancy
• Computer Studies
• Research & Extension
• Culture & Arts
• Around Campus
• Culture & Arts

A Woman in Today's’ Society is a Woman with Power

by Andrienne A. Espiritu, CED-IDS | Mar 09 2020

In 2019, the Department of English of the College of Arts and Social Sciences conducted the 2nd Women's Month on-the-spot essay writing contest. 

This year's Women's Month, the Institute is featuring the winning entries of last year's essay writing competition. 

Below is the  2nd runner up essay entry written by Andrienne A. Espiritu of MSU-IIT Integrated Developmental School.

Woman. Who is she to people? Is she the Mother who lights a house with Grace and sacrifice? Is she the fiery member of the workplace who works day and night with the vision of hum but never the roar. Is she the shadow of a weary man’s success? Woman, always the essential darkness of somebody else’s night.

Throughout history, women have been marginalized and oppressed in this patriarchal society. They are often subjected to lesser roles and menial jobs; or worse, not expected to work at all. Society has always put women as an extension or being next to men. Because of this, they have learned to slowly blend in the background, to work behind the scenes, to stay silent in a world dominated by men. But when a staggering fifty percent of the world’s population is oppressed and forced to stay on the wayside, it does not take long for them to realize their worth, to start seeing a world where they may be significant. The role of women has drastically changed over the course of history, thanks to people who fought for women’s rights. However, we have not completely eradicated the division between men and women. In some parts of the globe, there are still people who stereotype women, immediately assuming they are of lesser roles, classifying them as housewives, or denying them opportunities. There are several cultures that believe a woman exists only so that she can be sold, married, and be of service to men. There are many practices that we are blind too because some of us are privileged enough to live in a society where women are rising to the same roles as men. Ironically, there are still women who have not realized their worth and freedom, women who continue to be oppressed, abused, and treated as objects. And it is up to the empowered women to raise the marginalized women along with them.

We have taught women to build themselves smaller than men. Taught them that if they can offer thunder and the man can only produce a mere clap, then they should stay silent instead. Women have shrunk themselves to a size men can conveniently handle. They try to fit in the small boxes this society has built for them when clearly, they are made for something much bigger. They stay at home brewing ideas with the knowledge that if they come out of the world, it would be a magnificent sight. Despite the struggles that women have been through and continue to go through, nothing stops them from achieving their absolute best. When we look back in history, we can see that many women have excelled in fields traditionally assigned to men or believed only men can achieve.  For example, Ada Lovelace, known to be the first computer program. Who would have thought that a woman could also excel in an area dominated by men? Marie Curie, the first person to win a Nobel prize twice in two different fields of science. She paved the way for many discoveries we now have. There was Frida Kahlo, whose bold paintings opened up conversations on taboo topics about women. These women had the courage to jump through loops, to go through needle-sized holes with the knowledge that the pathway towards success for women is laid out with more swerves and bumps. These women and many other women who fought courageously have shed light on women’s contributions in today’s society.

The women that we see today are empowered women. They continue to contribute to various aspects and excel at what they do. They radiate motivation and exude excellence; they are pioneers of change. They are equipped with the knowledge that they have the ability to change the world. They are no longer afraid to step out into the light. From the many years of living in the shadows, they have come to realize that the light they’ve been taught to stay away from is a brightness they yearn. To bathe in this light is not a fault, to find happiness in recognition is not something to be ashamed of. In this modern world, women are foundations for success. They venture into the world not as inferior beings but as equal partners alongside men. They explore new ideas and touch topics they’ve been afraid to open up before. They inspire other people. Children too looked up to women. The daughters of today’s society are filled with hope knowing that they are able to grow in a healthy world where they are not criticized for being a woman. The women of today are leaders, achievers, innovators; they are power with grace, a strict motivator with an inborn sense of love and compassion.

They say a woman finally becomes herself when she speaks without permission. And every word, every action, every deed that a woman does today without fear of being judged is a justice for all women who have fiercely fought the battle for equality. Woman. Who is she to the people? She is the raging anthem for every hopeful soul and the burning fire that swallows all fear and darkness. She is the figure that does not only stand up for herself but for thousands of other women who stand alongside her. She is no longer confined into darkness; rather, she dances underneath the warm light. She is fearless with her mouth and tongue and the unfailing courage to speak up. She is unbothered by society’s double standards and she will fight for her rights and the rights of other women who do not have voices to speak their truth. She is a woman. Fearless and brave- everything a woman is born to be.

_____________________________________________

Andrienne is an 18-year-old senior high school student from MSU-IIT IDS and is currently enrolled in the STEM strand. Her dream of becoming a board-certified ObGyn stems from the fact that she wants to dedicate her professional life working with women and empowering them. She strongly believes in being environmentally conscious and tries her best to practice an eco-friendly way of living. When she is not caught up in academic work, she likes to bake, write, watch slam poetry videos, and binge-watch tv shows. She is slowly learning to appreciate parts of herself society forces her to discard; she hopes to help others do the same.

• Top Stories
• COE and CSM graduate students bag awards at ICMRI 2024
• Board approves the awarding of Professor Emeritus title to former COE Dean, Dr. Alagao
• MSU-IIT to implement reforms on student admission: integrates EDI, employs A.I.
• CASS’ Embradura completes 2023 LEAD-FBLP 
• CSM's Lavilla awarded French scholarship program for cardiometabolic research
• CEBA faculty members participate in DOST-PCAARD Technology Commercialization Mentorship Series
• MSU-IIT achieves 100% passing rate in recent REELE and RMELE
• PPSA 2024 International Conference commences at MSU-IIT
• MSU-IITs WECARE Office, CHS coordinates with City’s LGU for free Medical mission
• Biology graduate student wins Best Paper Presentation Award during the 2024 ICCBS in Tokyo
• Over 9k students take the 2024 MSU-SASE in IIT 
• MSU-IIT welcomes international co-teachers for Computer Science and Information Systems
• Online orientation on planning and implementation of university-funded research projects held for MSU-IIT researchers
• BS Philosophy student receives the AFP ROTC Male Cadet of the Year title
• Former MSU-IIT Chancellor, Marcelo P. Salazar, to deliver keynote address at 13th Mid-Year Graduation
• MSU-IIT’s COE to offer new graduate degree programs with ERDT scholarship

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Empowerment — Speak Up and Face Fears as the Strongest Action for a Woman

Speak Up and Face Fears as The Strongest Action for a Woman

• Categories: Empowerment Women's Rights

About this sample

Words: 753 |

Published: Feb 9, 2023

Words: 753 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof Ernest (PhD)

Verified writer

• Expert in: Social Issues

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 650 words

1 pages / 370 words

3 pages / 1207 words

3 pages / 1531 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Empowerment

Introduction to the movie "Legally Blonde" and its perceived stereotypes Discussion of how Elle Woods defies stereotypes and transforms into an empowered woman Challenging the "dumb blonde" stereotype [...]

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, delivered a powerful and inspiring commencement speech at the 2020 “Dear Class of 2020” virtual graduation ceremony. In her speech, Obama addressed the graduating [...]

In Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street," the theme of identity and empowerment is central to the experiences of the young protagonist, Esperanza. Through a series of vignettes, Esperanza shares her journey of [...]

"Too Good at Goodbyes" by Sam Smith is a powerful song that delves into the themes of love, heartbreak, self-worth, and empowerment. In this essay, we will analyze the song's themes, lyrics, and emotional impact, exploring how [...]

The 1994 Disney film Mulan portrays individualism to motivate younger girls to pursue their dreams. The push for feminism is shown through Mulan’s individualistic behavior, while it breaks some of China’s taboo behaviors [...]

The poem "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee is a powerful exploration of self-expression and empowerment. The narrator begins by feeling suffocated by societal pressures, seeking more fuel and energy to break free from their [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Jami Gold, Paranormal Author

Where Normal Need Not Apply

June 8, 2017

Wonder woman: the essence of a strong female character.

We’ve had several conversations here over the years of what it means for a heroine to be a “strong female character.” Although on some level it seems like the answer should be obvious, articles continue to discuss the issue because we see so few successful portrayals of such characters—especially in movies.

Like many over the past week, I saw the Wonder Woman movie…and loved it. *smile* One of the many reasons I enjoyed the movie is because the Wonder Woman/Diana Prince character played by Gal Godot is a wonderful (ha!) example of a strong female character. I want to break down what created that sense of strength for me so we might push for more characters like her in our stories.

(I’m exploring her character without revealing plot point spoilers, but if you haven’t seen the movie yet, go ! *grin*)

Why Are There So Few Good Examples in Movies?

Throughout history, society has valued women mostly for narrow roles, notably mother and sex partner. Notice that neither of those two main roles are about women themselves.

Instead, those roles center on and are defined by others—children or the (typically) male partner. In movies, even when we see examples of strength within those roles, that strength is usually revealed after an attack or threat that victimizes the woman or those she cares for.

For example, the “mother bear” type of strength is a response to a threat against her kids. The “revenge” type of strength is frequently a response to being jilted, abused, or the like.

In other words, in movies, women are often reduced to those two roles, which is limiting in and of itself. (Not that those roles aren’t important to women, but real women embody many roles at once.) Worse, any strength revealed in those characters comes only after she’s been dismissed, attacked, victimized, or had her weakness exploited as a plot point, often after making a big deal of her weakness being due to her gender or her role.

If we think about these characters in terms of character agency —how much they’re acting on and pushing the story in certain directions rather than merely reacting to how the plot pushes on them —we see that these strength-in-response-to-a-threat characters don’t have as strong of agency as most roles for men. In addition, as the threat (and often her weakness) is related to one of her roles, her strength is less about herself and more about asserting her value within those roles .

The Few Good Examples Are Criticized

At the same time, the lack of good examples means that any character that gets close is scrutinized. Rather than being one of many, she’s the sole recipient of generations of hopes and expectations.

No character could withstand that amount of pressure, so not surprisingly, people find ways to pick on any near-miss examples that come along. (This picking apart of a lone xyz -type of character is why more representation is important for any marginalized group.)

A good example of a strong female character who was picked on for being “not enough” is Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy . Some picked on her for wearing a skirt (*gasp*) at the end of the first movie, as though dressing in a less kick*ss way “lessened” her. Others picked on her for (the horrors!) showing vulnerability and needing rescue, as though needing help—ever—meant she wasn’t strong at all.

Real people aren’t perfect, and our characters shouldn’t need to be perfect either. Any character who was perfect wouldn’t seem realistic. It’s enough to make us think that we can’t win—especially when people start limiting the definition of strong for our characters.

The Many Types of Strength

The character of Ripley from Alien is the typical example of a strong female character cited by many. However, many of the aspects that people point to with that character as far as what makes her strong focus on the butt-kicking type of strength.

Yet in the real world, we can see many different types of strength all around us. Unfortunately, movies often do a poor job of highlighting those stories with female characters, and an even worse job of showing non-victimization-related strength in them.

In the real world, we know that women can show strength in caring for or helping others (not just mother-bear protecting them). We know women can show strength in standing up for what’s right or fighting for what they believe in. We know women can show strength in leadership or courage in moral, emotional, or physical battles. Etc., etc.

Stories that focus on these other types of strength should feature female characters just as frequently as male characters. In the real world, strength along these lines is just as common in women as in men, and stories should reflect that fact.

The Wonder of Wonder Woman

All of those typical issues underline why the Wonder Woman movie was so incredible to me. The movie obviously focuses on her—a female character—but more importantly, the story showcases her different types of strengths—not just the butt-kicking. In addition, the story never victimizes her, forces her into either of the usual female roles, or makes her seem weak because of being a woman. *cue Hallelujah chorus*

The movie doesn’t grant only her character this gift either. The first part of the movie depicts the Amazon women as kicking butt, yes, but it also hints at a rich tapestry of art, rituals, beliefs, and roles for non-butt-kicking members of the society.

More powerfully, we’re not told about Diana’s or the Amazon society’s strengths, we’re shown those strengths by women of many sizes, shapes, and colors. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, a hero shot in a movie is worth a million. *grin*

Ways that Diana’s strengths are portrayed throughout the movie include:

• From her childhood on, other characters constantly tell her  no . She ignores them and follows her passions anyway.
• As a beautiful woman, she could have taken advantage of the seductress role to get what she wanted, but she never does. She’s secure enough in her abilities to believe she’ll succeed without manipulation.
• When she  is butt-kicking, she’s not acting out of competition or a desire to prove herself. She merely follows her heart on what she believes is right.
• She doesn’t react defensively when faced with sexism, as again, she’s secure enough to not need to prove herself. Because of this lack of reaction, she’s never turned into a victim.
• She’s allowed to coo over a baby without the act “weakening” her or pigeon-holing her into the mother role.
• Her naïvety is never shown as stupidity or foolishness. Instead, she’s simply uninformed about modern culture, which reflects the purity of her history.
• Even her physical strength is shown as coming from her goodness, compassion, kindness, and determination to live up to her potential.
• Her character arc isn’t about learning to value x or figuring out she was wrong about y . Her arc explores how she can use her traits to help the world.

In other words, unlike so many other comic book movies, which focus on physical strengths or egos or overcoming a masculine trait like arrogance, she is the embodiment of the feminine spirit. (I mean that not in an exclusionary way, focusing on gender, but on the types of traits that are usually seen as feminine rather than masculine. Just as women encompass feminine and  masculine traits, so do all, including men and non-binary.)

Even better, the movie never diminishes the Steve Trevor character. He’s not reduced to the “love interest,” “comic relief,” or any other narrow role. He’s shown as fully supporting her strengths and being a hero in his own right.

Is the movie perfect? Of course not. But Diana’s character was everything I hope the heroines (or for that matter, the heroes) in my stories to be. Heck, she was everything I hope to be. *grin*

This is the potential of strong female characters. This is what we should expect from storytellers. This is a story I want to see more of. *smile*

How would you define “strong female character”? What examples from stories can you think of? What makes those characters “strong”? If you’ve seen the Wonder Woman movie, do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Do you have any other thoughts about her character or the story and how it relates to strengths?

Check out these related posts:

• The Character Debate: Strong and Vulnerable?
• Character Development Is a Two-Edged Sword
• Are Beta Characters Weak?
• Story Conflict: Villains vs. Antagonists
• Subtext: Creating Layered Characters

22 Comments — What do you think?

I hadn’t thought about it until this post, but the mother in “The Blind Side” is also this sort of rounded, strong character. She’s a force of nature who drives the story, and she’s doing it not because she or her family are threatened (they’re not), but because she sees someone who needs help.

I’m looking forward to seeing Wonder Woman!

I really enjoyed the movie and found myself chuckling or laughing out loud at points. (I’m pretty sure I was grinning like an idiot through most of it.) Though I had a few minor quibbles, my overwhelming feeling was (and remains) sheer delight.

I love how this movie has started conversations about strength and stereotypes and gender roles, about societal conventions and morality and violence, about relationships and responsibility and identity. I’ve been participating in some of those conversations among friends, and now your analysis will be part of those conversations as well. Thank you!

As for other examples of strong women characters, the first thing that came to mind was The Zookeeper’s Wife. Though I see it as a film about what it means to be human, the protagonist is a woman, and we experience the story mostly through her.

Actually, Wonder Woman is also about what it means to be human. Not being told what it means, but seeing and experiencing what it means. That’s one of the things I enjoyed about it. (And the ass-kicking – loved the ass-kicking!)

It’s on my agenda for this weekend. Can’t wait to see it with my daughter. One of my sons already saw it and said it was really good. I actually roll my eyes at female heroines who have to beat up males to show their strength to readers or viewers. Physical bad-ass-ness doesn’t impress me. Another attribute that TV and movies like to give strong women is the woman just being mean as if kindness is a weakness. Can’t wait to see this movie.

Recently, I realized that though I follow the writing discussions on strong female characters, I do see many female characters who are strong, where their psychological strength is not always related to their male love interest (the female character probably gets cut some slack if her love interest is female :D) nor related to her children. Some examples that come to my mind are two of my favorite heroines from Shakespeare’s plays: Viola from Twelfth Night and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but both girls show elements of emotional strength, like compassion for someone in need, fighting for what’s right or being determined to survive, being resourceful and brave, and just being an all-around interesting and cool person. None of these emotional strengths I listed had anything to do with a male partner or her children! Anyhow, I think a great way to write a strong female character, is to treat her like a person rather than like “a female.” If she feels like a unique individual with her own personality, she would probably reveal her strengths to the reader naturally without the author imposing any traits on her. That’s my opinion! Some days ago, I wrote a short dialogue-only story for a competition with a group of writer friends and acquaintances. In my dialogue, I mocked gender stereotypes and also mocked counter gender stereotypes. I poked fun at the ideas of what a “strong female character” *should* be according to …  — Read More »

Seems to me there’s a shortage of non-asskicking strength displayed in a lot of movies these days, regardless of the character’s gender. I liked the movie ‘Belle’ – the place she has in society limits her power, but she exercises the power she has without fear and shows what can be accomplished by someone who refuses to stop asking the questions people would rather not face. Plus she’s based on a real person (Dido Elizabeth Belle), so yay! Check out the portrait of her ‘photobombing’ her cousin…

I just saw Wonder Woman this past weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I love, love, LOVE your checklist! And I agree that each point reinforces the assessment of Diana’s strength of character. And then I looked at my MC for my story, using your checklist as a filter. I am pleased and proud to announce that Ari Dillon is equally as strong! I’m going to pull that checklist and add it to my notes for future character reference.

I love Ripley, but not just because she kicks butt at the end of Aliens. She’s smart, focused, dedicated to her job, and she doesn’t take crap from the men who are around her. When they have to escape from the alien, she is the one who leads the party, including the men. She shows a nurturing side in taking care of the little girl Newt, yes, but it’s not shown as a weakness. I also love Sarah Connor from Terminator. In the first movie, she’s totally blindsided by the terminator that comes after her and yet she doesn’t crumble or rely on a man to take care of her. Yes, John Connor shows up, but he’s part of the problem, not the solution. They have one, short, love scene and then she’s back to taking care of him. In the second movie, of course, she’s a total badass. She is completely dedicated to what she knows needs to happen even though everyone around her is treating her like she’s crazy. She makes connections, gets weapons, and does everything in her power to not only protect her son, but save the whole world. All while a crazy terminator robot is after her. Princess Leia was always one of my heroines as a girl. Strong, spunky, and unwilling to allow the men tell her what to do. When they broke her out of her prison, they were clueless. She was the one to take control and save the day. She ended …  — Read More »

Ditto. Love all those characters, also.

Omg I especially love Sarah Connor! She’s definitely strong in both physical and psychological strength. (But you meant Kyle Reese shows up, not John Connor, right? ^_^)

Oops! You’re right. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it!

How would you define “strong female character”? Two words. Honor Harrington, an example of a strong woman living only within a series of novels.

What I find most attractive (strong) about Harrington, and/or ladies in real life, is exactly what Kim B wrote above. Ripley is “She’s smart, focused, dedicated to her job”. Those are the type of ladies I work with every day and report to on the job. So I connect with them on the page. Harrington and Ripley would have liked each other, I think. I like both of them.

For those of you ladies who may dismiss the “kick butt” aspect of a strong female character, just remember half of your potential customers are men, so–. Xena: Warrior Princess , Kill Bill, The Iron Lady, Gravity. Salt, Hunger Games–they all kick butt.

Just sayin’. 🙂

Stay Well, Donovan Quesenberry

Miss Congeniality, Tomb raider, The Blind Side (smart, Christian, and Southern—Oh My!), The Hobbit—the Elf Chick, Anne of Green Gables, Revenge, Harry Potters Hermione, Homeland—Mathison, Nikita, Alias—Bristow, AND I ALMOST FORGOT, Marvel’s Agent Carter—Peggy Carter.

Wait a minute, what were you saying about too few strong female characters? I do think I disagree with you, Jami. “So Few Good Examples” — B*S*. We got lots of GREAT examples of strong women on the written page, in TV, and in Movies. And I pray to God we keep getin’em. I love it. 🙂

I can’t believe I left out Hermione! Harry would never have accomplished everything he did without her.

Yeah I feel like strong female characters aren’t that rare either. Or maybe we were mostly talking about action movies? (I realized later that my examples from Shakespeare’s plays were out of place in this discussion. XD) Oh, I definitely don’t think there’s anything wrong with ass-kicking girls. 🙂 I believe the worry is that she might be strong ONLY in physical strength/ fighting abilities. But I have to admit that I don’t know many female characters who are only strong physically. Even the Powerpuff Girls aren’t merely tough fighters (not even Buttercup.) Yup, shamelessly talking about cartoons too, lol. And there were one or more Powerpuff Girls movies. At the same time, I think it’s unfair to the fictional girls that they can’t be strong physically but not emotionally without being criticized. But if it’s a fictional guy, if he’s strong physically but not so strong emotionally, no one bats an eyelid! It’s as though boy characters have more freedom to be whatever they want. For example, I have met many girls in my real life who are physically strong but may be (from what I know) less compassionate and also less emotionally sensitive. I don’t mean any disrespect to them, but I’m just saying that it’s a kind of injustice that we as a society have higher expectations for female characters than for male characters… The very need for the concept a “strong female character” is sad to me as well. We never needed to create a concept …  — Read More »

My issue with the strong female characters who are there to only be physically strong is that it equates “strong” with traditional masculine strength. A woman whose husband dies and who has to take care of her five children alone and works two jobs to make it happen is strong. But we often discount it as a feminine strength, and not the same as “being strong.” I don’t know if this is making any sense, but that’s how I see it.

We need to identify strength in many more ways than physical strength or the ability to fight. One of the things I liked about Ripley was that she was a female scientist back in the early 80’s. That took strength just to be able to break through the male hierarchy that was the world of scientists.

I agree with you, but I actually think that it should be common sense by now that physical strength is only one type of strength, right? In fact, the people I talk to tend to see emotional, psychological, artistic, intellectual, and other types of strengths as more valuable and hard to come by than physical strength… So yeah, I guess I’m not worried here because I assumed most people were already past the point in believing that physical strength is the only laudable kind. But maybe not.

Gees. I agree with all of you ladies. Over the past 10 days I re-read “Ride the River” by Louis L’Amour. Okay, older book, but the POV character is Echo Sackett, traveling alone in the 1840s along the Ohio River Valley, and trying to figure out how to have her first boyfriend. She is extremely strong, smart, yet vulnerable and naive. I’ve loved the book for a long time. So, again, I don’t think we lack strong, female characters at all. I just think we need more and more of them.

I couldn’t read this yesterday morning, because I was seeing the movie in the afternoon! But now that I have, I agree with everything you said here. I especially love that you mentioned how Steve Trevor is portrayed as a hero in his own right. I’ve long said that truly strong men are not threatened by truly strong women; we can recognize our differences and play into our strengths in a way that complements one another.

I’m ready to go see this movie again! And take my husband this time. 🙂

Great article. I can’t wait to see this movie.

Am I the only one who is a bit disappointed by Wonder Woman? Yes, she has some awesome strengths (not just physically), but she feels too strong to me, too perfect. She has bad traits, but they hardly cause her trouble. At one point I was begging Miss WW to make a mistake, just to get rid of that Mary Sue-ish feeling that grew quite strong in me.

[…] bring our novels to life, so we’d better make sure we get the details right. Jami Gold discusses why Wonder Woman is the essence of a strong female character, Piper Bayard details the art of physical surveillance, John Gilstrap talks knife fighting, and […]

[…] my writing, the stronger/more alpha my heroes, the stronger/more alpha my heroines have to be as […]

© 2008–2024 Jami Gold - All rights reserved. No content on this site may be reused in any fashion without written permission from Jami Gold . NOTICE: This site uses cookies and affiliate links (see our Privacy Policy ).

• Smart Living
• Mental Health

Why I'm Tired of Being a "Strong Woman"

When I was in kindergarten, I always drew my mother to be as tall as the whole paper — and all my other family members were always drawn significantly shorter than her. My teachers would question these works of art, but in my eyes, my mother towered over everything — taking it all in stride with a silent, unfaltering strength.

If the world is a scary place, then my mother is electrifying. She uses fashion as armor, and has the type of walk that lets you know she's always headed somewhere important — things she eventually passed on to me. Whenever she felt sad, she'd channel her energy into something productive, like painting our bathroom walls. If we ever struggled financially — or struggled in general — I'd never know about it because she always shouldered the burden without any indication of stress.

We were a party of two, an only-daughter-and-single-mother duo almost as close as Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. I wasn't always conscious of the meaning connected to the roles we played in each others' lives and how they affected our dynamic. But, more importantly, I wasn't aware of how I was internalizing some of the expectations that came with our roles.

As an adult, I know that our family dynamic molded and blessed me with a fierce independence and strong will, but it also crippled me with needing to uphold an ideal that hasn't always felt authentic to me. I fear asking for help. I fear inconveniencing the people around me. I fear allowing myself the luxury of genuine vulnerability.

As outsiders to mainstream American culture, being strong wasn't really a choice — it was survival.

For my mother and I, the mandate of embodying the strong woman archetype, especially as a Latina and Black Latina, respectively, helped us navigate our most trying situations, and forced us to always have things under control. As outsiders to mainstream American culture, being strong wasn't really a choice — it was survival.

Due to this pressure, I've felt like I have to constantly function at my highest capacity in every setting — which of course, is unrealistic and leaves me exhausted. I've felt the need to be able to show up as the most empathetic for my friendships, the most emotionally stable in my relationship, and the most creative, resourceful, and capable person at school and work. At times I've felt like I'm playing "The Sims," guiding my character through the many factors in her life and anxiously tracking her performance in all of them.

There have been countless times when a solution to my problems has simply been to ask for help — to allow myself to need . But in my mind, that would mean I'm admitting defeat — that I'm not actually handling everything all that well.

My obsession with perfectionism and embodying this picture of strength has been most challenging this past year, especially after starting grad school during a pandemic , when my functionality and mental capacity has felt lower than it's ever been. Settling into a new city during the busiest year of my life as a grad student has forced me to confront that my ideal of strength leaves no space for my humanness, and often leaves me isolated and burnt out. I learned that I needed to allow myself a plethora of vulnerable moments in order to build a community.

Recently, the concept of "softness" has shown up on my social media feed, and has been more widely discussed among communities of color — primarily among Black women. While there's not a set definition for the term, the idea behind softness is fairly simple: living your life in a way that makes space for your vulnerability, and by extension, your inner peace.

As I navigate my transition into embracing softness, I've realized my most meaningful relationships and cherished moments have been the ones where I've specifically asked for the things I needed.

Since my mother so gracefully carried us through our survival phases, I now have the luxury being able to sit down and reflect on not only how her strong will shaped me, but also how much I want to incorporate that independence into other parts of my existence. This entire process of learning to be more soft has required a lot of learning and unlearning, and rethinking what strength looks like.

As I navigate my transition into embracing softness, I've realized my most meaningful relationships and cherished moments have been the ones where I've specifically asked for the things I needed. Whether that was allowing my friends to take care of me, or allowing myself to be seen and loved fully, these too have been impactful moments in which I've understood that there is strength in vulnerability.

While my mother's example of a strong woman set me up for independence and stability, my version has some alterations. I'm someone who admits defeat, allows herself to be taken care of, and embraces vulnerability and emotion. Both my mother and I are strong in our own ways, but I've learned that strength can come in many forms. It just so happens that my form of strength allows room for me to feel more than I used to.

• Personal Essay

Lady Macbeth as Powerful

The essay below uses this simple structure:, an introductory paragraph to summarise an answer to the question, one paragraph about the extract, one about the rest of the play, one about context., lady macbeth:, the raven himself is hoarse, that croaks the fatal entrance of duncan, under my battlements. come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full, of direst cruelty. make thick my blood., stop up the access and passage to remorse ,, that no compunctious visitings of nature, shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between, the effect and it come to my woman’s breasts,, and take my milk for gall , you murd'ring ministers,, wherever in your sightless substances, you wait on nature’s mischief. come, thick night,, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes,, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry “hold, hold”, starting with this speech, explain how far you think shakespeare presents lady macbeth as a powerful woman., write about:, how shakespeare presents lady macbeth in this speech, how shakespeare presents lady macbeth in the play as a whole., the essay below is written using a simple structure:, an introductory paragraph to summarise an answer to the question., one paragraph about the extract., one about the rest of the play., before you read the answer below, why not have a think about how you'd answer this question. i've highlighted the quotes i'd write about - do you agree or would you focus elsewhere also, which sections from the rest of the play would you focus on and what contextual factors influenced lady macbeth's presentation, most importantly, though, have a think about how you'd write that opening paragraph - answer the question in two or three simple sentences., an example answer, during the majority of the play, lady macbeth is presented as being a powerful woman who defies the expected gender stereotype of the caring, soft, gentle female. by the end of the play, however, she kills herself as she discovers that although she can order the rest of the world around, she cannot control her own guilt, right at the opening of this speech, lady macbeth makes her position known when she describes “my” battlements. the use of the possessive pronoun emphasises that she thinks of the castle walls as being her own. she follows this by calling “come you spirits.” the use of this magic spell has two effects on the audience: firstly, she is calling for dark magic to come and support her. this would have reminded the audience of the possibility that she was a witch and had all the evil powers connected with them. also, she is using an imperative here: “come you spirits.” she’s not asking them but telling them. this shows that she expects even the supernatural world to answer to her demands. one of the things she demands is that they “stop up the access and passage to remorse.” this means that lady macbeth doesn’t want to feel any regret for what she is about to do, which would make her powerful. she is no longer going to be slowed down by feelings of compassion or care in her pursuit of power. finally, she says that the spirits should “take my milk for gall.” here, she is asking that her own milk be turned to poison. this suggests that she is turning something caring and supportive into something deadly, giving her even more evil powers. also, milk is pure white and suggests innocence and purity so lady macbeth is asking that what is innocent and pure about her gets turned into something deadly. throughout this speech lady macbeth sets herself up as being someone very powerful, who is able to control even the spirits., her power continues throughout the play. lady macbeth suggests the murder and talks macbeth into it – showing that she is powerfully persuasive. she also plans the murder, showing that she is intelligent as well. she also stays calm under pressure, such as when macbeth arrives with the daggers from the murder scene but lady macbeth returns them to the scene so that they don’t get caught. she is also able to manipulate macduff when she faints in shock after they discover duncan’s body. you could easily argue that lady macbeth’s ambition was more powerful than macbeth’s, and that the murder wouldn’t have ever happened with her involvement. she is determined to become powerful and will stop at nothing to get it. at the end the play though she is caught sleepwalking, and she confesses to all that they’ve done. this is interesting, however, as while she is sleep-walking she is not in control of herself so she is not really aware of what she’s doing. it could be the case that lady macbeth herself never felt guilty, though she couldn’t hide her real feelings from her dreams. in the end, she dies. malcolm claims that she killed herself quite violently, but since it happens off-stage we cannot be sure. what is clear is that although she could push macbeth around, and trick macduff, and even order the spirits to do her bidding, she couldn’t order the blood off her own hands., shakespeare presents a very powerful female character in lady macbeth, and although this would have been quite radical for people in jacobean england there were other powerful, female role models to choose from: bloody mary or queen elizabeth are good examples. this play, however, was written for king james who had just taken the throne of england, and james was not a fan of queen elizabeth – who had killed his mother, mary queen of scots (and he might not even have been a big fan of his mum, because she married the man who killed his dad) as a result, james would have enjoyed seeing this powerful woman become such a villain and then getting punished for her crimes..

Tapping to Agree I hereby consent to the use of cookies, confirm that I have read Cookie Policy and allow this website to collect and process my personal data in a safe and secure way

• Essay Writers for Hire
• Pay For Essays
• Plagiarism Free Essays
• Business Essay Writing Service
• Scholarship Essay Writing
• Masters Essay Writing Service
• Essay Editing
• Persuasive Essay Writing Service
• Personal Statement Writing Service
• College Paper Writing
• Coursework Writing
• Dissertation Editing
• Write My Dissertation
• Essays for Sale
• Buy Research Paper
• Research Paper Help
• Pay For Research Paper
• Write My Research Paper
• Research Paper Editing
• Write My Philosophy Research Paper
• Write My Assignment
• Conclusion Generator
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Essay Maker
• Testimonials
• How It Works

Woman's Strength

Women's strength: breaking societal norms.

Since time immemorial, women have always been ranked second to men in terms of intellect, power, physical strength, and leadership abilities, among many other positive characteristics associated with alpha beings. A number of organizations, including world governments, religious associations, schools, corporations, and other formal and informal sectors that include leadership positions and strengths, have validated and justified the woman's status. Many individuals have been convinced that women are inferior creatures to men. Women have also been made to believe that they are weaker compared to men. This belief that is myopic in nature has for so long made the female to sit back and allow the male dominate them.

Rise of the Feminist Movement and Women's Self-Realization

It is however due to the rise of the feminist movement and the exposure to education that women learned of their value and strengths. The rise of women in all manners of fields. The strength of the woman has been exhibited in the recent past to date. The impact that the woman has left in whatever venture they get involved has been remarkable and exemplary.

Biological Composition and Physical Nature

The strength of a woman begins right at the reality of being a woman itself. The biological composition of the woman exposes her to a number of biological processes that make her be strong and enduring. The pain that comes with menstrual bleeding and childbirth are reasons enough to make any woman strong enough. Physical endurance is a marker of emotional endurance and strength too. This shows why the physical nature of a woman makes her strong.

Facing and Overcoming Challenges

It is estimated that women and children are at more danger or risk of getting assaulted physically, emotionally and sexually. This is a reason to make every woman fear and restrain from associating with people. Despite the risk that they face every day, women have overcome their fears and instead, they have decided to face the risks head on and fight whatever comes their way in form of abuse or assault. For that reason, women have come up with organizations and centers that help defend the women legally and seek for redress in case of an assault. These organizations are made up of legal, medical and other relevant practitioners who aid women in fighting back and taking action against any person who assaults them. These avenues have given a boost to the woman's courage to walk fearlessly. The avenues are also a way of fighting back and this proves that women too can stand up for and fight what is right without fear of intimidation. Some people see these defense avenues as weaknesses on the part of women, a claim that is debatable. Being naturally exposed to the danger of falling victim of the assault is an imposed weakness on the part of women, but devising a defense mechanism is, by all means, a strength marker. This shows that a woman is able to defend themselves in the face of danger, and find redress when offended, an attribute that can only be called strength and resilience.

The Strength of a Country: A Representation of Women

'Motherland' is the proverbial name given to a country by her people. A country is usually referred to by the pronoun 'her'. A good example is 'Nigeria is a beautiful country, her culture is so intriguing and captivating. She is the motherland to the famous Chinua Achebe.' In this sentence, Nigeria, a country in the west of planet Africa is described just like a woman would be. Words like 'motherland' and the pronoun 'her' are used when referring to Nigeria. A country or state is such a large geographical area that accommodates all manners of people, physical phenomena, and natural resources. A country has a government, policies, education systems, and culture. The essence of outlining what a country entails is to show vividly how strong it is to handle all the things under one roof. For that reason, it is given a motherly symbol to represent it. The motherly nature of a woman is so sacred and respected that it can only be given as a representation of a country. This gives the woman an upper and in claiming strength. Given that each country has her own struggles, the representation of a woman's resilience in the symbol of a country, which is conventional, shows her undoubted strength. It, therefore, goes without saying that women are the pillars and foundation that hold so strongly the existence of the human race and support the same to her maximum ability.

Challenging Gender Roles: Women in Leadership

A woman has proven beyond any doubt that she has the ability to carry out duties rendered masculine in the same way, and even better than a man would. This has been seen in the way women have risen to take leadership positions and roles in major sectors. It is no longer news to hear a woman being elected to a top managerial position in a corporation or even getting lead roles in the government. Women have also risen up to battle out with men for this position; Hillary Clinton of the USA is a good example of women who battle out with men. This she did when she vied for the post of Presidency in the United States, it was a rare yet plausible act of courage that was exhibited by a woman, a move that caught the attention of the entire world. In as much as Hillary Clinton did not win against her male counterpart Donald Trump, the impact she left was a sure mark of the strength of a woman. Women are also rising to occupy top positions in the corporate world, media, and literary spaces, and when they do, they beat the men in the practices that have been conventionally rendered masculine.

The Indispensable Strength of Women

The power and the strength of a woman have been exhibited through other many ways. Women are mothers, they have a given emotional strength required to stabilize even the worst of conditions and women have won in this. The strength of a woman is indispensable.

• Criminal Justice
• The Song of Roland
• Interview with Mechanical Engineering
• Arabian Nights
• Jonathan Safran Foer: Satirical Techniques

Academic levels

Paper formats, urgency types, assignment types, prices that are easy on your wallet.

Our experts are ready to do an excellent job starting at $14.99 per page

We at GrabMyEssay.com

work according to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which means you have the control over your personal data. All payment transactions go through a secure online payment system, thus your Billing information is not stored, saved or available to the Company in any way. Additionally, we guarantee confidentiality and anonymity all throughout your cooperation with our Company.

Try our service with 15% Discount for your first order!   Try our service with 15% Discount for your first order!   Try our service with 15% Discount for your first order!  

How Celibate Women Became a Threat

A mid a number of recent pivots, including scrapping the women-message-first system it launched with 10 years ago, dating app Bumble recently unveiled a new ad campaign that seemed to take aim at its primary demographic: women. Over the weekend of May 11, a number of TikTok users in the Los Angeles area posted the dating app’s new anti-celibacy billboards, which appear to tease women who have sworn off sex and dating. One billboard reads, “You know full well that celibacy is not the answer.” The campaign comes two weeks after a commercial announcing “the new Bumble,” which shows a woman who becomes a nun because she’s fed up with dating, only to immediately relapse once she sees a hot guy. The billboards generated considerable backlash from women on TikTok, with a creator @Fleeksie posting , “LADIES! The patriarchy is SCARED!! They’re losing us and they’re panicking!!” Julia Fox, for her part, commented on one of the posts: “2.5 years of celibacy and never been better tbh.”

The overwhelmingly negative response to the campaign pushed Bumble to issue an apology on May 13, acknowledging the many valid reasons that move someone towards celibacy: restrictions on reproductive rights, recovering from trauma or abuse, or existing as asexual. “We have heard the concerns shared about the ad’s language and understand that rather than highlighting a current sentiment towards dating, it may have had a negative impact on some of our community,” a Bumble spokesperson shared in a statement to TIME . The app has promised to remove the ads, as well as donate to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. But in attempting to make light of a social climate in which, as they worded it in their apology, “a community” (read: women) “are frustrated by modern dating,” Bumble ended up, inadvertently or not, mirroring the language many women experience when they tell men they are not interested. The sexless, “crazy cat lady” trope is a tale as old as time, but in the context of rising incel ideology—which psychologists partly attribute to women’s increased economic and social power—the sentiment still feels like a toxic, all-too-familiar neg.

Read More: Bumble Apologizes After Getting Stung for Anti-Celibacy Campaign

Desiree (all last names in this article have been kept private to preserve anonymity), for instance, is a 26-year-old woman who is no longer using dating apps because she felt people “were using physical connection to make up for the lack of emotional intimacy.” She has found that the emotional intimacy she craves—something she needs to be physical with someone—is increasingly hard to come by. “I find myself constantly setting boundaries due to the normalization of hookup culture by apps,” she told me. Too often she’d be on dates where, all of a sudden, someone would lean in for a kiss and get a bit touchy without respecting her wishes to connect on a personal level first. “For me, it’s not worth the hassle, or the risk that someone might not respect or abide by my decision.”

Even beyond the persistent pressure from individuals to participate in hookup culture, as Desiree experienced, the dating industry at large is perpetually badgering single people to redownload, buy premium subscriptions, and remain in the romantic marketplace. This begs the question: Has a celibate woman become more threatening than a sexual one?

Increasingly, women are both sexual and celibate at once, and perhaps that makes them doubly threatening: A new generation is proving that sexual empowerment doesn’t hinge on having lots of sex, or even sex at all. In 2023, I wrote about the rise of “celibate sluts,” people who consider themselves sexual but have taken big steps back from sex, usually when they realize sex isn’t serving them, and found peace. One 23-year-old woman told me she and her friends referred to themselves as sluts “to signal us being hot and in control of our bodies,” regardless of sexual activity. Furthermore, growing visibility surrounding asexuality has given many people the freedom to redefine intimacy for themselves.  

Across age groups and genders, studies suggest that people are having less sex, a phenomenon that’s been called the “ sex recession ” and largely cast in a negative light. In 2021, the General Social Survey found that over a quarter of Americans over 18 hadn’t had sex once in the past year, which is a 30-year high. Not to mention women, overall, are opting out of dating: 2020 Pew Research Data found 61% of single men were actively looking for dates, compared to 38% of women. Rather than examining the social, economic, and political conditions that may make sex and dating unappealing for individuals, particularly women, the impetus is put on the individuals to fix it. 

What I found when reporting my book, Laid and Confused: Why We Tolerate Bad Sex and How to Stop , is that young people are consciously opting out of sex and dating, largely due to swiping burnout, but also due to setting higher standards for romantic partners. This can be a beautiful, empowering choice—one that I can speak to from personal experience. After a nearly two-year break from dating, which included my recent year of cancer treatment , I decided to dip my toe back in the waters and almost immediately forfeited the few shreds of peace I’d been clinging to. If I, a person recovering from cancer, didn’t respond to prospective suitors fast enough, I received weirdly snarky follow-ups like “don’t be too shy” or “lol ok.” I felt overwhelmed by how many men’s profiles declared they weren’t “looking for a pen pal,” or that they wanted to meet up right away without much back-and-forth (which is actually a tool women use to vet potential partners, for their safety.) To exist on a dating app is to be constantly inundated by the pressure to meet up, regardless of your readiness. And for women, that pressure is reinforced by existing in a world that hates them for being single .

The truth is, being single is incredibly healthy for people who want or need to be, and studies show that single women without children are often happier than their married counterparts with children. Celibacy can facilitate some of this joy. “I would rather be at home on my couch hanging out with my plants,” said Sunah, a 41-year-old woman who found that when she raised her dating standards, her sex life dried up. “People are like, ‘Why aren’t you dating?’ They feel like it’s sad. Everyone acts like their shining accomplishment is being romantically partnered.” (Her guy friends, in particular, accuse her of being “too mean” and “too quick to dismiss people.”) 

Online conversations about the “male loneliness epidemic” tend to rope in women as a potential solve, particularly on incel forums. Yes, male loneliness is a real problem: A 2021 American Perspectives survey found that the number of men who reported not having a single close friend had quintupled to 15% since 1990. For unmarried men under 30, 25% say they have no close friends at all. Consistently, studies show that men have a harder time making and keeping friendships. But women don’t owe men companionship, even if those men are lonely. While all Americans are reporting fewer close friendships than they had before the pandemic, the same American Perspectives Survey found that young women are more likely than young men to lean on their friends for support. While loneliness affects all genders, women who opt out of dating are more likely to do so by choice. If men’s loneliness is stemming from a lack of sex, many women clearly benefit from that lack.

Read More: Why Gen Z Is Ditching Dating Apps

Alex, a 30-year-old woman who feels enormous “relief” to be on a dating app hiatus, told me, “I’ve recently realized how exhausted I am from the grind of it all and wanted to take a break to rebuild myself a little bit, take a pause from setting up dates all the time, save money, and reevaluate my feelings on dating in general.” 

When it comes to the business of dating apps, the most relevant principle isn’t necessarily patriarchal, but inherently capitalist: celibate, app-less women are not lucrative, an issue that the entire industry is grappling with. The business of dating, in general, is floundering: Dating app downloads are starting to fall , and a Pew Research study found that more people are dissatisfied with the apps than ever before. 

“Most of the time when I tell people I’m not dating, they immediately view it as a negative and start saying, ‘Well, you just need to put time in on the apps,’” a 30-year-old woman who is currently celibate told me. “And of course, society reminds me that I am elderly and should have ten kids right now. Thankfully, I’m on a particularly anti-dating side of TikTok though, which helps.” 

Alex, on the other hand,  says it’s been hard “to quiet the societal voice of ‘you’re in your prime time!’” Especially when she scrolls through so much content about dating online. But she’s not anti-dating, just anti-dating-in-a-way-that-doesn’t-work-for-her.  

“I’m not opposed to seeing people if I were to meet them in the wild,” she told me. “But I plan to keep my apps deleted for a while and that in itself feels really good.”

More Must-Reads from TIME

• The New Face of Doctor Who
• Putin’s Enemies Are Struggling to Unite
• Women Say They Were Pressured Into Long-Term Birth Control
• Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
• Boredom Makes Us Human
• John Mulaney Has What Late Night Needs
• The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Contact us at [email protected]

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

The Deep, Tangled Roots of American Illiberalism

By Steven Hahn

Dr. Hahn is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian at New York University and the author, most recently, of “Illiberal America: a History.”

In a recent interview with Time, Donald Trump promised a second term of authoritarian power grabs, administrative cronyism, mass deportations of the undocumented, harassment of women over abortion, trade wars and vengeance brought upon his rivals and enemies, including President Biden. “If they said that a president doesn’t get immunity,” Mr. Trump told Time, “then Biden, I am sure, will be prosecuted for all of his crimes.”

Further evidence, it seems, of Mr. Trump’s efforts to construct a political world like no other in American history. But how unprecedented is it, really? That Mr. Trump continues to lead in polls should make plain that he and his MAGA movement are more than noxious weeds in otherwise liberal democratic soil.

Many of us have not wanted to see it that way. “This is not who we are as a nation,” one journalist exclaimed in what was a common response to the violence on Jan. 6, “and we must not let ourselves or others believe otherwise.” Mr. Biden has said much the same thing.

While it’s true that Mr. Trump was the first president to lose an election and attempt to stay in power, observers have come to recognize the need for a lengthier view of Trumpism. Even so, they are prone to imagining that there was a time not all that long ago when political “normalcy” prevailed. What they have failed to grasp is that American illiberalism is deeply rooted in our past and fed by practices, relationships and sensibilities that have been close to the surface, even when they haven’t exploded into view.

Illiberalism is generally seen as a backlash against modern liberal and progressive ideas and policies, especially those meant to protect the rights and advance the aspirations of groups long pushed to the margins of American political life. But in the United States, illiberalism is better understood as coherent sets of ideas that are related but also change over time.

This illiberalism celebrates hierarchies of gender, race and nationality; cultural homogeneity; Christian religious faith; the marking of internal as well as external enemies; patriarchal families; heterosexuality; the will of the community over the rule of law; and the use of political violence to achieve or maintain power. This illiberalism sank roots from the time of European settlement and spread out from villages and towns to the highest levels of government. In one form or another, it has shaped much of our history. Illiberalism has frequently been a stalking horse, if not in the winner’s circle. Hardly ever has it been roundly defeated.

A few examples may be illustrative. Although European colonization of North America has often been imagined as a sharp break from the ways of home countries, neo-feudal dreams inspired the making of Euro-American societies from the Carolinas up through the Hudson Valley, based as they were on landed estates and coerced labor, while the Puritan towns of New England, with their own hierarchies, demanded submission to the faith and harshly policed their members and potential intruders alike. The backcountry began to fill up with land-hungry settlers who generally formed ethnicity-based enclaves, eyed outsiders with suspicion and, with rare exceptions, hoped to rid their territory of Native peoples. Most of those who arrived in North America between the early 17th century and the time of the American Revolution were either enslaved or in servitude, and master-servant jurisprudence shaped labor relations well after slavery was abolished, a phenomenon that has been described as “belated feudalism.”

The anti-colonialism of the American Revolution was accompanied not only by warfare against Native peoples and rewards for enslavers, but also by a deeply ingrained anti-Catholicism, and hostility to Catholics remained a potent political force well into the 20th century. Monarchist solutions were bruited about during the writing of the Constitution and the first decade of the American Republic: John Adams thought that the country would move in such a direction and other leaders at the time, including Washington, Madison and Hamilton, wondered privately if a king would be necessary in the event a “republican remedy” failed.

The 1830s, commonly seen as the height of Jacksonian democracy, were racked by violent expulsions of Catholics , Mormons and abolitionists of both races, along with thousands of Native peoples dispossessed of their homelands and sent to “Indian Territory” west of the Mississippi.

The new democratic politics of the time was often marked by Election Day violence after campaigns suffused with military cadences, while elected officials usually required the support of elite patrons to guarantee the bonds they had to post. Even in state legislatures and Congress, weapons could be brandished and duels arranged; “bullies” enforced the wills of their allies.

When enslavers in the Southern states resorted to secession rather than risk their system under a Lincoln administration, they made clear that their Confederacy was built on the cornerstone of slavery and white supremacy. And although their crushing defeat brought abolition, the establishment of birthright citizenship (except for Native peoples), the political exclusion of Confederates, and the extension of voting rights to Black men — the results of one of the world’s great revolutions — it was not long before the revolution went into reverse.

The federal government soon allowed former Confederates and their white supporters to return to power, destroy Black political activism and, accompanied by lynchings (expressing the “will” of white communities), build the edifice of Jim Crow: segregation, political disfranchisement and a harsh labor regime. Already previewed in the pre-Civil War North, Jim Crow received the imprimatur of the Supreme Court and the administration of Woodrow Wilson .

Few Progressives of the early 20th century had much trouble with this. Segregation seemed a modern way to choreograph “race relations,” and disfranchisement resonated with their disenchantment with popular politics, whether it was powered by Black voters in the South or European immigrants in the North. Many Progressives were devotees of eugenics and other forms of social engineering, and they generally favored overseas imperialism; some began to envision the scaffolding of a corporate state — all anticipating the dark turns in Europe over the next decades.

The 1920s, in fact, saw fascist pulses coming from a number of directions in the United States and, as in Europe, targeting political radicals. Benito Mussolini won accolades in many American quarters. The lab where Josef Mengele worked received support from the Rockefeller Foundation. White Protestant fundamentalism reigned in towns and the countryside. And the Immigration Act of 1924 set limits on the number of newcomers, especially those from Southern and Eastern Europe, who were thought to be politically and culturally unassimilable.

Most worrisome, the Ku Klux Klan, energized by anti-Catholicism and antisemitism as well as anti-Black racism, marched brazenly in cities great and small. The Klan became a mass movement and wielded significant political power; it was crucial, for example , to the enforcement of Prohibition. Once the organization unraveled in the late 1920s, many Klansmen and women found their way to new fascist groups and the radical right more generally.

Sidelined by the Great Depression and New Deal, the illiberal right regained traction in the late 1930s, and during the 1950s won grass-roots support through vehement anti-Communism and opposition to the civil rights movement. As early as 1964, in a run for the Democratic presidential nomination, Gov. George Wallace of Alabama began to hone a rhetoric of white grievance and racial hostility that had appeal in the Midwest and Middle Atlantic, and Barry Goldwater’s campaign that year, despite its failure, put winds in the sails of the John Birch Society and Young Americans for Freedom.

Four years later, Wallace mobilized enough support as a third-party candidate to win five states. And in 1972, once again as a Democrat, Wallace racked up primary wins in both the North and the South before an assassination attempt forced him out of the race. Growing backlashes against school desegregation and feminism added further fuel to the fire on the right, paving the way for the conservative ascendancy of the 1980s.

By the early 1990s, the neo-Nazi and Klansman David Duke had won a seat in the Louisiana Legislature and nearly three-fifths of the white vote in campaigns for governor and senator. Pat Buchanan, seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 1992, called for “America First,” the fortification of the border (a “Buchanan fence”), and a culture war for the “soul” of America, while the National Rifle Association became a powerful force on the right and in the Republican Party.

When Mr. Trump questioned Barack Obama’s legitimacy to serve as president, a project that quickly became known as “birtherism,” he made use of a Reconstruction-era racist trope that rejected the legitimacy of Black political rights and power. In so doing, Mr. Trump began to cement a coalition of aggrieved white voters. They were ready to push back against the nation’s growing cultural diversity — embodied by Mr. Obama — and the challenges they saw to traditional hierarchies of family, gender and race. They had much on which to build.

Back in the 1830s, Alexis de Tocqueville, in “Democracy in America,” glimpsed the illiberal currents that already entangled the country’s politics. While he marveled at the “equality of conditions,” the fluidity of social life and the strength of republican institutions, he also worried about the “omnipotence of the majority.”

“What I find most repulsive in America is not the extreme freedom reigning there,” Tocqueville wrote, “but the shortage of guarantees against tyranny.” He pointed to communities “taking justice into their own hands,” and warned that “associations of plain citizens can compose very rich, influential, and powerful bodies, in other words, aristocratic bodies.” Lamenting their intellectual conformity, Tocqueville believed that if Americans ever gave up republican government, “they will pass rapidly on to despotism,” restricting “the sphere of political rights, taking some of them away in order to entrust them to a single man.”

The slide toward despotism that Tocqueville feared may be well underway, whatever the election’s outcome. Even if they try to fool themselves into thinking that Mr. Trump won’t follow through, millions of voters seem ready to entrust their rights to “a single man” who has announced his intent to use autocratic powers for retribution, repression, expulsion and misogyny.

Only by recognizing what we’re up against can we mount an effective campaign to protect our democracy, leaning on the important political struggles — abolitionism, antimonopoly, social democracy, human rights, civil rights, feminism — that have challenged illiberalism in the past and offer the vision and political pathways to guide us in the future.

Our biggest mistake would be to believe that we’re watching an exceptional departure in the country’s history. Because from the first, Mr. Trump has tapped into deep and ever-expanding illiberal roots. Illiberalism’s history is America’s history.

Steven Hahn is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian at New York University and the author, most recently, of “ Illiberal America: a History .”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

PWHL’s strong first season coincides with a growing appetite for women’s sports

FILE - New York’s Abby Roque (11) is congratulated for her goal against Montreal during the second period of a PWHL hockey game Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Bridgeport, Conn. The inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League has set one attendance record after another while putting the sport on the map across North America. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, FIle)

FILE - Toronto goalie Kristen Campbell, left, celebrates with teammates after their overtime win against Toronto in a PWHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Minneapolis. Finally having the best players in the world in one league has provided the kind of jump start needed to try to catch up with basketball and soccer in a crowded landscape. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP, File)

Toronto’s Brittany Howard (41) drives Minnesota’s Maggie Flaherty (19) into the boards during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday May 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto players take part in a huddle for their last home game before the PWHL hockey playoffs start as they play Ottawa in Toronto, Sunday May 5, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Fans cheer on as the attendance number is displayed on the big screen during the third period of a PWHL hockey game between Toronto and Montreal at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Saturday, April 20, 2024.(Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens celebrates with teammates Kati Tabin and forward Marie-Philip Poulin following a PWHL hockey game against Ottawa, Saturday, April 27, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal salutes the crowd following a PWHL hockey game against New York on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

• Copy Link copied

Less than a year since getting off the ground, the Professional Women’s Hockey League has staged its inaugural season with 72 games around North America televised or streamed and attendance records broken over and over, putting the sport in the spotlight like never before.

It could not be happening at a better time.

The PWHL’s launch finally brings together the best players in the world on a regular basis and beyond the annual world championships or Olympics every four years. And it has placed the game firmly on the map at a time of heightened interest in women’s sports, led by the Caitlin Clark effect in basketball and a quarter-century since Brandi Chastain and the U.S. soccer team rose to international prominence.

While it will still take time to catch up in a crowded landscape, the PWHL is off to a blazing beginning after decades of frustration, featuring fitful starts and stops, by putting it all together on the ice with a chance to capitalize on a growing appetite for elite women’s sports.

“We all wanted things to happen faster, and it felt really difficult and challenging at times,” Hall of Famer and PWHL senior VP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford told The Associated Press. “But now when you look back on it, you have to wonder if everything happened like it should have been and at the right time to allow us to see the success that we’ve seen to date.”

That success is still in its infancy, though the first four-plus months of the PWHL has raised expectations of how fast and how much it can grow beyond the current six-team structure based in Boston, New York, Minnesota, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. A total of 392,259 fans attended games during the regular season at venues that included various NHL rinks and highlighted by a women’s hockey record crowd of 21,105 turning out at the Canadiens’ Bell Centre for a Montreal-Toronto showdown last month.

Television broadcasts nationally in Canada and regionally in the U.S. markets have also attracted even more viewers to women’s hockey in following the same path of progress the WNBA and the various pro women’s soccer league incarnations previously enjoyed since the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“This has been in the works for quite a long time,” said Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s senior VP of business operations, who has also worked in the WNBA and NBA and for the NFL. “This has not happened overnight, and it continues to be a movement and it will have to continue to be a movement. There’s no time where we can take our foot off the pedal and feel complacent or feel comfortable. This is hard work every single day.”

As the puck drops on the playoffs this week, with an innovative format that allowed league-leading Toronto to pick its first-round opponent — the team chose to play fourth-seeded Minnesota — there’s still plenty of work to be done.

Internally, advisory board member Stan Kasten acknowledged, “We still have a long way to go till we are an economic success,” and an expert in women’s sports is skeptical of the long term based on hockey’s place behind football and other sports in the U.S., and until there are more teams and big-name stars to capture mainstream attention.

“You’ve got the kind of barrier of overcoming just the sort of marginalization of hockey in American culture and then on top of that added in this additional layer of the marginalization of women’s sports in American culture,” said Cheryl Cooky, professor of women’s gender and sexuality studies at Purdue University. “Adding those together, it creates this sort of double jeopardy for women’s hockey.”

Cooky pointed to Chastain, Clark and others becoming the face of her sport to people beyond the fanbase as something women’s hockey needs. American Hilary Knight and Canadian Marie-Philip Poulin are the biggest stars at the moment, including Knight making an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in 2018. But there’s also the inherent challenge of playing in helmets with cages that basketball and soccer do not have to overcome in building a pop culture following off the ice, court or field.

But that process is ongoing, placing the emphasis on the next generation, led by Sarah Nurse, Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards and others, of building a loyal following around the continent.

“These kinds of role models that show women that they can be fierce, serious athletes, I can’t think of anything better,” Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman said. “The strength of the fan support speaks to the fact that there was something missing, that there was something that was needed.”

Speaking steps away from Hillman at a PWHL watch party at the Canadian Embassy in Washington last month, Bauer VP of marketing Mary-Kay Messier called the inaugural season “a watershed moment” for hockey in general because of the growth opportunity of getting more girls and women involved.

“It’s a reflection of the passion of the people, and they’re demanding to see the games and they’re turning out in droves and breaking records is no longer a milestone — it’s a track record,” Messier said. “For brands that want to stay relevant, want to develop new audiences, you’ve got to get involved with girls and women’s sports because that’s a difference-maker.”

The PWHL has deals with companies running the gamut from equipment manufacturers like Bauer and CCM to Canadian Tire, Molson, Tim Hortons and Barbie. More agreements are coming soon, as is eventual expansion, though that will have to wait, as will increased salaries for players and other modifications.

“We tried to be careful and conservative so that when we finally got going, we had a chance to succeed and that’s the place we’re at now,” said Kasten, one of the people running the PWHL show for Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and women’s tennis icon Billie Jean King.

Kasten said the league’s “manifest destiny” is competitions in Europe, and an influx of talent outside the U.S. and Canada is one reason to think, as Scheer does, that “there’s no limits” on what the PWHL can do.

“It’s great that you have different pathways,” said Lara Stalder, captain of Switzerland’s national team who credited countrywoman Alina Muller for carving a path for Europeans in the PWHL. “In the end, you need good pathways and good structures that we have more depth, that more and more girls play hockey.”

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Simone Biles wins gymnastics US Classic by a lot. Shilese Jones takes 2nd. How it happened

HARTFORD, Conn. — There is Simone Biles and then there is everyone else.

Biles easily won the U.S. Classic on Saturday night, and did so while leaving herself room to improve. Her score of 59.5 points was 1.85 points ahead of Shilese Jones, an all-around medalist at the world championships the last two years.

Biles didn’t score lower than a 14.55, and posted the highest score on vault and floor exercise. She was second to Jones on uneven bars and to reigning Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee on balance beam. Tokyo Olympians Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey were third and fourth and Skye Blakely, a member of the last two world teams, was fifth. 

The scary part? This was Biles’ first meet of the year. She’s only going to get better from here.

London Olympics champion Gabby Douglas joined Lee and Biles on Saturday, marking the first time ever three Olympic all-around champions competed together. Douglas completed one event before withdrawing. Lee completed three events for a 40.75 total score that qualified her for the all-around competition at nationals.

The U.S. Classic doesn’t directly affect who makes the U.S. team for the Paris Olympics. But it plays a role because it’s a qualifier for the national championships later this month in Fort Worth, Texas. Results at nationals determine who gets invited to the Olympic trials, June 27-30 in Minneapolis.

What Simone Biles said after U.S. Classic win

After a comfortable victory at the U.S. Classic, Simone Biles said on NBC that she has no complaints about how her first meet of 2024 unfolded.

"For me, I was happy to just be back out there, get through those nerves again, feel that adrenaline," she said.

Biles was asked about her performance on uneven bars and acknowledged "there's things to go home and fix, but I'm not mad about it." She was also asked about having her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, in the crowd cheering for her. What does he think of gymnastics meets?

"I think this one was a huge thing for him because he hasn't been in a while," Biles told NBC. "But to hear those girls scream as loud as the fans in the football field I think is something new, so it's really exciting to be in both atmospheres."

Biles' power on display

Biles had so much power on her first tumbling pass on floor exercise, a triple twisting double somersault – also known as the Biles II on floor – that she bounced way out of bounds, laughing as she did so. It cost her 0.3 points, but she’ll get that under control in the coming weeks.

Biles is also likely to clean up the landing of her Yurchenko double pike vault. She’s no longer having coach Laurent Landi stand on the podium as a safety precaution, which cost her a half-point last year.

Biles’ closest competition, Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and Jones, already needed to be perfect and have Biles make a couple of mistakes in order to have a chance against her. With this performance, the gap between Biles and everyone else grows even wider.

Watch a replay of the 2024 U.S. Classic

Biles' session of competition was televised live on CNBC and Peacock, which is NBC's streaming service. NBC will also run a show recapping all the highlights from the U.S. Classic at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Yurchenko double pike (aka the Biles II) sighting

Simone Biles isn’t leaving room for anyone else.

Biles did the Yurchenko double pike – the Biles II on vault, for those keeping track – which would give her a big score, anyway. But unlike last year, when she took a half-point deduction for having coach Laurent Landi stand on the landing mat in case she was in danger of crashing, Landi was off to the side.

Without the deduction, Biles scored a whopping 15.6 – and that was after having to run backward several steps to control her landing. It was one of only two scores in the meet above 15 – Shilese Jones had a 15.25 on uneven bars – and gave Biles a 1.3-point lead going into the final rotation. 

2022 US champion Konnor McClain leaves US Classic in wheelchair

After a solid start to the night on beam, Konnor McClain suffered an injury while warming up on floor and was forced to withdraw from the U.S. Classic.

NBC television cameras showed McClain, 19, being taken out of the arena in a wheelchair with tears in her eyes. She had been sitting in third place after notching a score of 14.200 on balance beam in her first rotation. 

NBC's John Roethlisberger reported on air that McClain's coach, Courtney McCool Griffeth, told him "it's an Achilles," without providing additional information about the severity of the injury.

Biles is back

Biles brought back her triple twisting double somersault – aka the Biles II – in her floor routine. It’s one of the elements she dropped after the Tokyo Olympics, when a case of “the twisties” caused her to lose sense of where she was in the air and jeopardized her physical safety.

Biles won her eighth U.S. and sixth world titles last year, both records, but she did so with some of her most difficult twisting elements removed from her routines. No more. The triple-double is her first pass on floor and it was massive, so big she bounced way out of bounds. She grinned when she landed and completed the rest of her routine with power and polish.

Her score of 14.8 gave her 29.35 midway through the meet. That’s .25 points behind Shilese Jones, an all-around medalist at the last two world championships. But Jones has done her two highest-scoring events while Biles still has vault. 

Gabby Douglas scratches after one event

Gabby Douglas' performance at the U.S. Classic was a short one.

Douglas scratched after the first event Saturday night. No reason was given, but she'd come off the uneven bars twice.

The 2012 Olympic champion, who is hoping to make the Paris team eight years after she last competed, was trying to qualify for the all-around at the national championships in two weeks. She is already qualified to do three events — vault, balance beam and bars — but needed to score a 51 or higher in order to do all four at nationals. With a 10.1 on bars, that was going to be a tough task.

Read more: Gabby Douglas out of US Classic after one event. What happened and where she stands for nationals

Simone Biles starts Olympic season off strong

Biles scored a 14.55 on balance beam, her first event at the U.S. Classic. There are still three events to go, but she has a .20 lead on Shilese Jones with vault and floor exercise, her two highest-scoring events, still to come.

This isn’t a surprise, of course. Biles is the best to ever do it, returning to competition for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics last year and winning her eighth national title and sixth world title, both records. So long as she’s on her game, no one will beat her.

But, honestly, everyone in the United States knows that. The other women are just hoping to make a claim on the remaining four spots on the team. 

Tough start for Gabby Douglas

That was a tough start for Gabby Douglas, who is trying to make the Paris Olympics eight years after she last competed. Starting on uneven bars, her signature event, Douglas got off balance on a pirouette. She managed to save it, but couldn’t get back into her rhythm and came off. She got back up but dropped off a couple of seconds later. With fans – many of whom weren’t even alive when she won gold at the London Games in 2012 – chanting her name, Douglas got back up and finished her routine.

Douglas got a 10.1, which is going to hurt her chances of qualifying to do the all-around at the national championships in two weeks. She’s already qualified to do three events at nationals, but needs a 51 or higher here to qualify for the all-around. (She could also petition to do all four events.)

A historic competition with 3 Olympic all-around champs

This is the first time ever three Olympic all-around champions ― Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles and Suni Lee ― have competed together. But to put that in better perspective, when Douglas made the Rio team, she became the first reigning all-around champion since Nadia Comaneci in 1980 to compete at the next Olympics. Biles obviously did the same in Tokyo.  

Biles, Douglas, Carey start on signature events

There will be fireworks early. Gabby Douglas starts on uneven bars, her signature event, while Simone Biles is up on balance beam, where she's the reigning world champion. Oh, and Jade Carey starts on floor exercise, where she won gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Settle in and grab the popcorn. This is going to be fun. 

Fans get rowdy for Biles before event starts

There's still an hour until the meet starts and the XL Center isn't even close to being half-full. But fans are already LOUD. When Simone Biles did her Yurchenko double pike vault ― also known as the Biles II ― the cheers were deafening. 

What to expect from Biles, Lee and Douglas

Biles has already qualified for nationals as a member of the U.S. squad that won a seventh consecutive title at last year’s world championships. But she’s using this meet to test out her routines. She’s brought back her triple twisting, double somersault on floor exercise, also known as the Biles II, as well as the double-double dismount on uneven bars.  

She’s also got new choreography on floor, from French choreographer Gregory Milan.

Lee was originally planning to do the all-around, which would have been her first since she had to cut short her final season at Auburn because of a kidney ailment, more than a year ago. She did bars and balance beam at Winter Cup in February, and vault and beam at the American Classic last month. But Lee is opting not to do bars here, and instead do vault, beam and floor.

Douglas qualified to do three events at nationals with her performance at the American Classic, but is hoping to improve on that so she can compete in the all-around.

Who is competing at the U.S. Classic?

Gymnasts like to have a meet to work out the nerves and have their routines judged before things start counting, so pretty much everyone is here. Biles and Shilese Jones, an all-around medalist at the last two world championships, are making their season debuts, as is Tokyo floor gold medalist Jade Carey and 2022 U.S. champion Konnor McClain, whose LSU team won the NCAA title last month.

How do you make the U.S. Olympic team?

The top all-arounder at the Olympic trials, likely to be Biles, is guaranteed a spot in Paris. The remaining four gymnasts, along with two alternates, are chosen by a selection committee based on their performances this year, scoring potential and how they'd contribute in both qualifying and team finals.

Unlike other sports, such as swimming and track and field, gymnastics teams can't be chosen purely on results or rank order. In qualifying at the Olympics, teams compete four athletes on each event and can drop the lowest score. But in the team finals, only three athletes compete on each event and all three scores are counted. That means teams must be constructed to produce the highest scoring potential and consistency on all four events.

What's next?

The U.S. championships are less than two weeks away, May 30 to June 2 in Forth Worth, Texas. The Olympic trials are June 27-30 in Minneapolis. The Paris Olympics begin July 26, with the women's competition beginning two days later with qualifying.

Gabriela Ruffels qualifies for Women's US Open, joining strong Australian contingent featuring Minjee Lee and Hannah Green

Sport Gabriela Ruffels qualifies for Women's US Open, joining strong Australian contingent featuring Minjee Lee and Hannah Green

Rising Australian golf star Gabriela Ruffels has continued her rich vein of form to qualify for the upcoming US Women's Open in Pennsylvania.

Ruffels shot rounds of 70-66 for a six-under-par total of 136 at San Joaquin Country Club in Fresno, California, to earn one of two qualifying spots for the season's second major from May 30 to June 2.

The 24-year-old is fresh off her career-best LPGA Tour performance, a third at last week's Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey.

That result followed an equal third at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship in March and two other top-15 finishes in 2024 that have thrust Ruffels to the lead in the LPGA's rookie-of-the-year race.

Ruffels also tied for 40th in last month's Chevron Championship, the first major of the year.

The former Australian junior tennis champion will be teeing up for her fourth US Open tilt, having tied for 13th in a most impressive debut in 2020, the year after she won the US Amateur Championship.

Ruffels already boasts four top-20 finishes at the majors and will join a strong Australian contingent at Lancaster Country Club, headed by top-10 stars Minjee Lee and Hannah Green.

Melbourne native and Iowa State women's golfer Keeley Marx also qualified this week through Briarwood Country Club in Deerfield, Illinois.

Marx, 20, carded rounds of 69-72 for a one-under total of 141 to secure medallist honours and a major championship debut.

Ruffels, Lee, Green, Grace Kim, Steph Kyriacou, Sarah Kemp, Robyn Choi and Karis Davidson also give Australia eight players in this week's field for the Mizuho Americas Open in New Jersey.

Nine of the world's top 10 players, including world No.1 Nelly Korda, are contesting the $US3 million ($A4.5 million) event starting on Thursday.

The ABC of SPORT

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Hannah green moves into world's top 10 to become australia's top-ranked golfer.

Aussie Gabriela Ruffels in the golf major mix while red-hot Nelly Korda threatens

'Letting me down': Day hoping improved iron play will help first title defence in five years

• United States