Hopeful

Girls, ladies, and women - this one goes out to you! 

ヘ(^_^ヘ)(ノ^_^)ノ

In every culture and every nation, women are still considered the weaker sex. Even in today's society, 
where women are visible and active in the workforce, politics and government, combat, information 
technology, engineering, science, business, and in religious roles like pastors; the world right now 
specifically the media continues to categorize women as sexual objects, housewives, overly 
emotional beings that causes drama. I ask,

Is it that funny?
Is it that entertaining to watch a person, particularly a female getting humiliated? 
Just because our bodies are different, is it right for you to abuse us, use us, and ruin us? 
Are we not allowed to keep our pride?

I don't know about the rest of the females in this world, but I for one not only find this disturbing, 
it's sickening, it makes me feel ashame to be a woman! 

A few weeks ago, I saw a video that inspired me and brought me hope. From ted.com, 
"Our Century's Greatest Injustice" by Sheryl WuDunn documents the extraordinary testimonies and 
messages from women around the world that has stepped up against injustice towards women.

Sheryl tells the story of a young girl in Dabian Mountains, Central China-

Dai Manju is 13 years old at the time the story starts.She lives with her parents, her two brothers and her great-aunt. They have a hut that has no electricity, no running water, no wristwatch, no bicycle. And they share this great splendor with a very large pig. Dai Manju was in sixth grade when her parents said, "We're going to pull you out of school because the 13-dollar school fees are too much for us. You're going to be spending the rest of your life in the rice paddies. Why would we waste this money on you?" We wrote about her in The New York Times. We got a flood of donations - We turned the money over to the principal of the school. He was delighted. He thought, "Oh, I can renovate the school. I can give scholarships to all the girls, you know, if they work hard and stay in school. So Dai Manju basically finished out middle school. She went to high school. She went to vocational school for accounting. She scouted for jobs down in Guangdong province in the south. She found a job, she scouted for jobs for her classmates and her friends. She sent money back to her family. They built a new house, this time with running water, electricity, a bicycle, no pig. And over the years, as we followed Dai Manju, we were able to see that she was able to move out of a vicious cycle and into a virtuous cycle. She not only changed her own dynamic, she changed her household, she changed her family, her village.

After watching this video, Sheryl really inspired me to be apart of a social change. We've all heard it before, everyone can make a difference; it's the will to follow through in which the difference and change can occur. YOU, yourself have the power to do great things, to see beyond yourself in an act of selflessness and care for others. This video also made me think about education and how it really does open doors and opportunities. When I hear this, it makes my heart flutter. There's so much to learn, so much to experience, so much we can do. 

On Christmas day, I went to a local theater to watch, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'm not going to write a review about it, I just want to say a couple things... this movie shows both sides of the argument when it comes to the Media's image of women. One, it tells a story of a young woman that is "different", thus highlighting women's individualism. You can say it sort of has a feminist edge to it. On the other hand, it shows the same women being raped, using her sexuality to get what she wants/needs, and voluntarily giving up her body out of physical desire and emotional release. 
And it pisses me the fuck off! 
I am all for the strong independent unique modern day woman, but why does this woman use the reason for her oppression, humility and shame as a weapon, power? Does she not realize she's adding fuel to the fire that's burning her alive? It makes me question, what has society come to now that women are accepting defeat and injustice, and basically screaming to the world, yes i'm a slutty whore, but you can't touch me unless i let you; the world has become an exotic stage, a strip show if you wanna call it. Sex is a natural desire, seduction is enticing, but please don't sell yourself to the devil and complain about being mistreated!!! 


I want to close with my own story. I grew up with wonderful teachers, mentors, advisers and friends who inspire me to learn and go after higher education. I also grew up in a traditional family that didn't support those aspirations. Instead, working and helping out with bills was more important than obtaining a degree. I have to deal with the generation gap, language barrier, and cultural difference that kept me and my family from seeing eye to eye. I never felt like anyone ever understood me, but I never stopped believing that education will save me one day. I'm going to be the first in my family to graduate from a University and I'm so thankful for every person that I have crossed path with, I'm truly blessed with amazing individuals in my life that encourages me to dream big. Impossible doesn't exist, your personality draws people to you, your passion makes people believe, your accomplishments makes it okay to keep dreaming.

To my readers,

Stand up for what you believe in & keep the hope alive!