Taking Back Our Power

Women Should Be Angry

Women have been fighting for their freedom since the beginning of time. 1848 to be exact, is when we see the first wave of feminism. We can thank the well-loved Elizabeth Cady Stanton (a true icon) for that. We’ve seen multiple waves of feminist movements over the last century, but we are definitely entering a new one.

In lieu of events this past summer (you all know what I’m talking about) once again a male dominant government has tried to take away women's bodily autonomy. Patriarchy has never died and while women aren’t afraid to speak up, men are STILL trying to silence us.

Let’s take it back to the dawn of patriarchism to really understand how this all began. Men are biologically stronger than women, and this is a fact, so when humans were hunters and gatherers men were handed the heavy lifting, killing animals, farming, labor, all the things essential to survival at this time. In turn, they were handed the checks, the house, and the land, and it continued to be passed down to the next man and the next man and the next man. This is when women's autonomy begins to erode.

Women, just because they give birth, are now expected to take care of the children full time, cook, clean, and do everything for their husbands because- as we’ve learned- the men have been laboring all day. Once men caught this grasp of power when it was blindly instituted based on a situation, they wanted to take it further.

Women wanted to help on the farm? Sure, but they’ll make less money because you’re not as strong as a man so you’re not getting as much work done. Do you get it now? It starts on a technicality and when women speak up men want to control more. But here’s the thing, the last time I checked we weren’t hunters and gatherers anymore.

We’ve evolved into a society that no longer needs a man’s strength. There’s nothing that proves men are smarter either. When scientists observed brains, it’s proven that you cannot tell the difference between a female and male brain... at all. The mentality of sexism is from deep-rooted misogyny. This isn’t just a random man you ran into who decided he hated women; it is what men have been taught for hundreds of years. It is time to take our power back.

This is no longer a small issue; the system is failing women and they’re doing it on purpose. This sense of control is spread across each branch of government, so they all work together to kill women's rights. In one of my culture classes, I learned that America as a society tends to be very private, we don’t talk about or show things considered inappropriate such as our periods, or breastfeeding because it is “taboo”. We must sit ladylike and make sure the UTI you got last week is kept a secret.

What we need to do is start talking. These “uncomfortable” conversations are only uncomfortable because a man said it was. You know what I say to that? Classical conditioning. If we continue to stimulate men, government, and everyone with our words and actions change can be acquired. Bodily autonomy is a basic human right and the men in our government will take it away if we don’t speak up. Keep voting, keep protesting, keep talking. It’s time to get angry.

Strike Out,

Concept: Lindsey Solomon, Nic Franzani, Aria Cendon-Ruisanhez

Assisted by: Brianna Bascle

Digital Director: Isabel Choi

Beauty: Brynn Lewin

Model: Isabelle Santiago

Photographers: Abby Marcil & Kevin Farley

Videographer: Tristan Reale

Writer: Ella Selph

Editor: Addy Crosby

Tik Tok: Katiana Redchuk

Tallahassee