Ok so I have to preface this post with the fact that I am a total gender and women’s studies nerd and love all of the classes that I have taken in this discipline. I am minoring in GWS and ever since I began college I have found myself gravitating towards courses, which deal with women’s rights and also address the varying cultural experiences of women in our society as well as throughout the world. However, as much as I enjoy GWS, many others don’t seem to see the same appeal in this field of study as I do. I am really peeved by the fact that I feel I must justify to others why I am taking these classes, why they are so interesting/important, and also the fact that yes, I do think a disparity between the rights of men and women exists today, but my interest in GWS also doesn’t mean that I hate men. I love men plain and simple, but I don’t like the fact that I feel pressure to apologize for being interested in women’s issues. Sorry, I’m not sorry, that I think we as women need to stand up for ourselves and must get to a place where we no longer need to justify who we are because we either do, or do not, subscribe to the societal expectations that have been created for women.

In an effort to combat the need that many women feel to apologize for being themselves I want to share with you an article that was sent to me entitled “18 Things Women Shouldn’t Have to Justify.” I believe it is important that we find resources like these to remind ourselves just how significant our role as women in our society is and that it’s ok not to abide by societal standards if they don’t fit our classification of what being a woman means to us. It is crucial to our own well-being that we be ourselves and fight against letting others define us.

Here’s another list I thought you all might enjoy, which reinforces the fact that every woman is unique and that is amazing. It’s so important not to let what society deems as appropriate consume us. Listen to your heart and your brain and do what is best for you, not everyone else.