Rabu, 25 Februari 2009

Celebrating My Womanhood

By Trudy-Ann Ewan

The word female or woman conjures various emotions, beliefs and expectations, based on society, culture, religion and tradition. A female from the day that she is born is relegated to roles that were pre-defined for her gender. Does that mean that as a female I have to abide by those pre-described roles? We live in a Puritan like society that labels women as sluts if she sleeps around, but it is almost expected of a man. If a woman earns her living as a Prostitute she is arrested because the law says it is illegal, same thing for the men. But, isn't it her body and her right to do with it as she pleases?

I want to travel the world, eat in five star restaurants all across the globe, and stay in five star hotels. Trips to Paris, London, Italy, Spain, the world over and I want to have a romantic fling in every country that I visit. Should I not do it because in someone's puritan and judgmental mind, I am not respecting my body and as such I also have loose morals? Who created these "moral codes"? Men have flings, affairs if they are married and they are invited into the country club of men, but the woman who has multiple flings or have affairs is vilified for her behaviour. Worse, let that woman be the other woman, then she is scandalized and labeled a home wrecker.

Recently, while having a conversation with another woman, she kept on asking me if I wanted to get married and if I wanted children. I told her no, I'm not interested in either. The look on her face after my response, you would have thought that I just told her I'm about to commit a terrorist act. She was actually strongly bothered by my response. Also, I mentioned that women are not victims, they are strong, intelligent beings who are equipped to make choices befitting their own lives and as a result I will not treat women as victims, nor as insipid creatures who lack intelligence. Her response was that I lacked empathy for women.

This is sad indeed, because she is not the only woman who feeds into the stereotype of women. She then not only believes it, she now projects it unto other women and woe be unto that other woman if she rejects that projections. I am one of such women. I refuse to be a prisoner of my gender. I refuse to live my life based on other individual's definition of my gender. What a limited life I would live indeed if I were to follow all these codes of conduct that a woman must live by.

So what if I don't want to get married and have children. Does that make me a hypocrite to my gender? Is that all I am, a wife, mother and a baby making machine? I am not here to fulfill anyone's prescribed notion of any perceived female duties. A woman can be the head of a large company that sees profits that are the GDP of some countries, yet if she does something that goes against her gender then she has committed an egregious act.

Being a woman is one of the most blessed things on this planet. We are creative, filled with humour and beauty inside and out and we have such an inner strength that it would be a tragedy to shut that down. We are CEO's, Pilots, Doctors, Managing Directors of our Fortune 500 Companies and most of all we are Entrepreneurs. It is still perfectly ok if we as women also want to be wives and mothers, but don't hinge your life on being only a wife and mother. Strive for other things, other accomplishments for your lives. Do not allow your gender to pigeonhole you in a box. Let us as women live outside the box, be different, be a trendsetter for your gender. Dare to be free, dare to be gutsy. Take life by it's horns and ride that bull for all it's worth.

About The Author:

Trudy-Ann Ewan, a Motivational-Creative Life Coach, Holistic Life Coach, Relationship Coach and a Motivational Speaker, through Create Your Passion Life Coaching, she has been successfully helping clients for many years in creating their essential life by helping them to re-discover their essential and helping to ultimately move towards their external goal. Her methods have improved her life immensely and she can guarantee that it will also improve your life. Trudy-Ann specializes in the art of helping individuals to create their passion by defining and acknowledging who they are with the ultimate goal of falling in love with themselves. To learn more visit her website at: http://www.createyourpassion.com where you can sign up for her free Dance to the Rhythms of Your Life Newsletters, participate in interactive quizzes and Coaching Assessments and where you can also join her coaching program.

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