I agree with Mainardi about women’s liberation and liberated women being different. I had never viewed it in that light before. However, I’ve noticed a lot of discussion about women’s liberation. Or, as we say nowadays, split it 50/50. Many women believe that you should never go half with a man. I never understood it before, but I now agree. Nothing will ever truly be 50/50. Especially when it comes to having children. We are the ones who are carrying the child. We must tend to it. Countless nights must be spent with the baby and many exhausting days while the man is at work. Our bodies change. It can take weeks, maybe even months, for our bodies to heal. Despite this, there is a lot for us to do after we give birth. I once saw a video on Tik Tok of a man caring for his child while his wife recovered from childbirth. He took time off from work and let her sleep in. When the baby cried, he got up. And he made every effort to be there for his wife and the baby. When asked why he explained that it was because he had never gone through what she had to go through during those 9 months or those many hours in the delivery room. He thought it was the least he could do. He realized that while he was there every step of the way, it was nothing compared to having to go through it all. To be honest, I’ve noticed that when it comes to dividing everything up, it almost always comes down to the women doing more work. Not to mention that a lot of guys don’t know how to cook or clean, so you’ll just have more work to do. Mainardi mentions how men will do the chore incorrectly, and then you’ll have to help them. Also, sometimes you’ll have to show them how to do it over and over again. I think this is because they were not forced to do these things as children, so they will be uninterested in starting now. That is why, in my opinion, I will never do 50/50 with a man. Especially if I’m going to be living with him.

In “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm,” Koedt discusses the lack of knowledge about female anatomy. When it comes to female pleasure, it’s always geared to benefit men. I believe that if men took the time to learn about our bodies, women would be satisfied sexually. In sex education, boys and girls were frequently separated. However, they would continue to teach girls about male anatomy, though it is not always the same for boys. Some men have no idea where the clitoris is. This article shows the importance of teaching men about the female body.

When reading, “It’s Time to End the Long History of Feminism Failing Transgender Women”. I began to think about how discrimination towards trans women affects cis-gendered women. Cis gendered women who don’t look like your typical societal standard of a woman get treated terribly. It’s because they have features that resemble men. I’ve seen this a lot with women like Serena Williams and Teyana Taylor. And female bodybuilders. While they are all beautiful women, they are at a disadvantage because many deem them as “manly looking.” This is why feminists need to advocate for trans women.

I’m the firstborn daughter, so I look just like my dad. At first, I never had a problem with it. But as I hit puberty, I realized I didn’t want to look like him anymore. Most first-born daughters often take on the masculine features of their fathers. I took on almost everything. It made me sick when people told me I looked like him because let’s be honest when you’re dressing up to go somewhere, the last thing you would want to hear as a girl is “wow, you look like your dad.” He’s a man and I’m a woman, and when I hear things like that, I feel less of one. My sister looks a lot like my mom, so she gets plenty of compliments. I often wear dresses and skirts because, nowadays, it’s the only thing that makes me feel like a woman. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to see my features look more and more like his. It’s hard to feel feminine when you have your father’s face. Sometimes I look in the mirror and all I see is a man. That’s why I think this is an issue that feminists should fight for. Because there are so many women in this world, none of us look the same. That’s what makes us unique. But because we don’t all look feminine and dainty, we’re referred to as men or told that we look like men. 

I felt bad while watching “Knock Down The House.” The scene I’m referring to is when they were out on the streets collecting signatures. They were rejected by some people, but they kept a smile on their faces and treated others with respect. I’m guilty of ignoring people on the street. It’s not that I do it to be mean, but when I’m outside, it’s usually because I have somewhere to go and stopping isn’t an option. I believe they would get a lot more signatures if they caught people when they weren’t busy. After watching this film and reading, my definition of activism is when you campaign for a cause you truly believe in. It’s when you fight incessantly for change. I felt the most for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez out of all the women in the film. She radiates a gentle warmth. She seems to have the most genuine vibe to me. I can see why so many people supported her. If I had been able to vote at the time, I would have definitely voted for her. She is modest and gives back to the community. It’s not like any other power-hungry individual we’ve seen rise in the past. She cares deeply about other people. She is a woman of color. That is even more important. Young women now have someone to look up to, and they will understand that running for Congress or simply being a politician as a woman of color is entirely possible. It’s a man’s world, but victories like this give me hope.

I attended a primarily black high school. And I was lucky to have so many black teachers who tried to help us see the best in ourselves and find our own voices. We’ve held numerous protests against gun violence and school shootings over the years. We made signs, stood in the street, and told passing drivers about the dangers of gun violence and how it affects children. In our senior year, my economics teacher took us to register to vote. He even walked us to the mailbox. He assigned us a project in which we had to research the presidential candidates, which helped us decide who we wanted to vote for. or which political party we are members of. One of our assignments required us to post a video on social media stating that we had registered to vote and then encouraging our classmates to do the same. I was fortunate to attend a school that encouraged me to use my voice.

I think it is important to recognize patriarchy as a system because it is far more powerful than you can imagine. Patriarchy has existed for so long that it is difficult to pin the blame on a single person. I believe it is easier to blame the system because the outcome is truly everyone’s fault. For example, we cannot blame modern men for what men did thousands of years ago, but we can ensure that such mistakes do not occur again. As well as educating men on why it was wrong because it will all happen again if proper education is not given. That is why it is important that history be taught, regardless of whether it is “boring” or “depressing.” Winston Churchill once said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This, I believe, is why we see so many repeat offenses: no one is learning from the past. Anyway, because the system is to blame, it is our responsibility to dismantle the norms established by the very system that created patriarchy.

I believe that oppression begins at the cultural and structural levels. Our culture is where we get the majority of our ideas. Our cultures have a significant impact on us, regardless of how much we are aware of it. Many of the ideas and opinions that have been instilled in our minds come from our culture. In Jamaica, for example, the ideal beauty is “brown.” That means you have to be fair-skinned. Many people spend their entire lives bleaching their skin. Following this process, these norms become institutionalized—in other words, they become a written or unwritten rules. This rule is becoming more prominent in everyday life. Because these rules are becoming more common, they have an impact on how people act in social situations. Colorism is an example of this. After being treated unfairly because of their skin color, many people just treat fair-skinned people differently than dark-skinned people. Several people were programmed as children to marry someone with fair skin so that their children would be lighter. Finally, whether intentional or not, the personal process is when you begin to adjust these norms to your life. When that happens, you adopt the attitude and begin to firmly believe in those ideas. I believe these processes are used with men because they see how common it is to treat women poorly and begin to adapt that to their lives as a result of what they have learned.

When I think of privilege, I realize the advantages I have that my family did not have. Having my own room gives me a sense of privilege. My mother grew up in a room with five other people and only one bed. I also have the luxury of being able to get to school while feeling safe. My grandmother had to walk through farms to get to school. And she and her classmates were always in danger of being killed. My grandmother lived in Kingston during the height of the conflicts between the two major political parties. Due to the threat of one of the parties shooting up the school, the school was eventually closed. While there is a risk of school shootings in America, I feel safe in my school, which I recognize is a huge privilege. Also, many people do not have the opportunity to attend college. I’m the first woman in my family to attend college. And by furthering my education, I’m going to gain access to all sorts of new opportunities. I think the most important privilege I take for granted is the ability to choose to work. My family prefers that I concentrate on my studies, so finding work was not a high priority. I know I’m fortunate to have my family support me while I’m in school. Many of my friends are forced to work in order to make ends meet. When I see my family providing for me, it motivates me to work harder in school so that when I graduate and get a good job, I can start providing for them too.

I’m not sure if this fits as oppression, but it does relate to a lack of privilege, as my family did not own a car. We had to beg other family members for rides after my father left, and we relied heavily on public transportation. Which is unreliable, especially in the winter. My mother had to support us on her own, so we couldn’t afford most things, and as a child, I couldn’t understand why we couldn’t afford most things. Most importantly, I noticed that I was treated differently after my father left. I’d become a statistic all of a sudden. That was the worst nightmare I’d ever had. There were a lot of kids my age who didn’t have a father. But it seemed to me to be a stereotype that was becoming all too real. Something that isn’t discussed is the shaming of black people who don’t behave in a certain way. Growing up, I was frequently ridiculed because I apparently “spoke white.” That has never made sense to me. However, it has had an effect on my relationship with my black identity. It is rarely discussed, but black people frequently oppress one another. On some issues, we disagree. such as skin color, music preference, or hobbies. We try to figure out who isn’t black enough and bully them for being different. The oppression article made me consider how the oppressed can be the oppressors. Like men being oppressed for sharing their emotions, while it may not be the same, I believe they are related because they are both shocking and not widely discussed.