In All Honesty: A Post about Women's Rights Part 1

8:34 AM

Hola readers!

This will probably give me more than I bargained for. I may have people unfollow me, think I'm crazy, or even call me crazy. But I'm ready to be honest.

After seeing that Oprah might run for president and saw the tears and heard the clapping over her speech at the awards ceremony, I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. If she runs, she will get in.
One: Because she is a woman.
Two: Because she's a woman.
Three: Because a woman has never been president before, and apparently we woman know how to run things...even if politically we aren't qualified. Even if we don't have military experience.

I'm all for rights.
Frankly, I'm for women's rights too.
I'm a woman and that's saying something - I love women. We're a great bunch.

But we're not the bunch.

We're not better than men.

 We want privileges over the guys, we want to be hired because we're a woman and apparently we can run things better than anyone else can. We want to see women do what they've never done before...simply because the gender they were born.

We say, "we're women, we need our rights." Yet we allow the guys to give us free-hand outs because we're women and apparently we're better then they are.
 I'm not saying that all women are treated fairly. I know women are cruelly treated. I know that sometimes women do get paid less than men. I know that sometimes men are just plain rude to women.
But men are getting treated like dirt too nowadays. Women are flaunting their bodies yet want to be seen more then a sex-image. They take leadership roles just because women don't normally do that.
Actually God created guys to be the leaders and *ahem* that's changed. Colleges are teaching that girls need to step up in the workforce, that they need to take charge and stop staying home taking care of babies.
Motherhood is a beautiful thing - as is working outside of the home. Neither are to be slandered, yet we as women are taking this thing way out of line. Instead of just wanting rights, we're wanting special treatment.
For several years now my local newspaper has proudly displayed an add asking for people to come to be trained as carpenters (but only women). My dad even pointed out that in his workplace, a woman can get hired regardless if she's qualified.
I find this unfair to myself and to others. If I go into the workplace I want to be hired because I'm good or because I know that they realize I'm good enough to be hired. I don't want to jump in line of hundreds of workers simply because of my gender. I find that incredibly embarrassing to both me and my sex. 

Oh, I'm all for equal rights. I'm all for women's rights.

But apparently not for the rights the world calls 'equal' because I just don't see it. Even though I want someday to be over teen ministry or that I enjoy being my own boss, I still want to be treated as a lady, because that's who I am, and that's who each woman, no matter their age, is too. Women have lost respect for themselves and in turn guys are losing respect for women.
It's become a battle of the sexes - who can make it to the top first. It's become a war of who's stronger or who's the better leader. It's not become about who meets qualifications but are you black or white male or female. It's not about working together or respecting the other sex.

This isn't equal rights.
This isn't fair.

It's time as women to make a stand, to treat men the way God intended - as leaders, as men, as, yes above us to some degree in physical strength and to some point, stronger than us emotionally.
It's nothing to be ashamed over.
It's just who we are.

However, this doesn't mean he is your master. This doesn't mean women aren't allowed to do anything. This just means seeing male and female as God intended. It means not cussing out a guy for holding the door for you. It means being OK with being a woman. It means being yourself and it being OK to show emotion. It means allowing the man to be over his household and loving his bride as Christ loves the church. It means getting off your high horse and realizing that just because you're not the strongest in muscle strength doesn't mean you're not good enough.
Strength comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms.

Sometimes that means running a household of five children (which ain't easy folks).
Sometimes that means starting a campaign to fight an injustice.
Sometimes that means moving away from home to be a missionary.
Sometimes it's inviting a less than friendly coworker to the movies.
Sometimes that means paying for the person who's ahead of you in line because they look like they need a blessing.
Sometimes that means simply sitting down and writing a blog post.

And sometimes that means going through the door when a guy holds it open for you - even if you could have opened it yourself.

Those things are what counts. Those things are what makes you beautiful. Those things are what should make you stand out in the crowd.

Not because you beat a man in a race or job opportunity.
Or not because he beat you.

We are told to be us, to be nothing but the truest version of ourselves, and to celebrate our differences, yet the world is teaching girls to be ashamed of feelings, of not have a certain type of strength. They're told be strong or get run over. They're taught that men and women should be able to do exactly the same things or it's shameful. They're taught to embrace showing off their bodies yet don't allow guys to see you as a sex-image.
You're not told to celebrate the things you were made to do. You're not taught that it's OK to want to dress beautifully and be a lady. You're not taught that the teachers and the librarians and the doctors and nurses and store clerks and photographers and authors  and all those 'ordinary' jobs are a blessing too.
And in all honesty I'm not against a woman in the military or as a police officer.
Especially if she feels called to that.

But listen: You are more then your strengths. You as a lady are more then your body. It's OK to not want to be a kick-you-know-what, strong-willed, speak-your-mind type of girl. It's OK to be diverse and wonderful and unique and not follow the world's pattern for a woman.

Don't let the world tell you otherwise. Don't let your gender be the only qualification.

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27 of your thoughts

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    1. I'm sorry if I made it sound that women aren't fully qualified for any job - they are. I wouldn't mind seeing a woman for president, but I would want to see one that is qualified for the job completely as a political person and who respects Christian values.
      Thank you for your thoughts!

    2. And PS. I realize that honoring my father doesn't always mean following his opinions as I become an adult. However, all these thoughts are my own and for all those who've met me off the internet, I'm sure they could confirm that I am definitely my own person opinion wise on such hop topics. =) My dad probably wouldn't agree with everything I said on this post....

    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    4. I completely agree with your first sentence - amen to that for sure!

  2. Yes, to everything in this post.

    I hate the fact that the whole women's rights movement is starting to harm more than help, it's okay to be feminine and have feelings, and it's okay to be more masculine and emotionally strong. We need to stop labeling everything.

    And Oprah as president is a scary thought, goodness, no.

    1. Haha, yes. I about died when the news announced it.

      But in all seriousness: you're right - the women's movement is beginning to harm more then help. It WAS helping, before, I really feel that, but it's become more about women standing up to and being better then men more then equal rights.

  3. I think you might have a misunderstanding of women's rights. of course there are always going to be women who take it too far. yeah, hating on men must stop. this whole idea that women should get a job only because they're a woman is wrong. however, I dont think all people in women's rights do that or think that. I dont think feminists only fight for "more masculine."
    as a feminist, I am for being a woman in however way that looks for you. because the amazing thing about women is that we are all different. the women's rights movement talks about the fact that there is no "right way" to be a woman. some women will go into the workforce and some will be stay at home moms. and they're both women anyway :) me personally, I cry a lot. I am a brutally soft woman. but I can also be strong and fierce and scary. and I love that about myself. I love that some days I look like I can kill a man but sometimes I look like a soft puppy. because to me, that's how I embrace my femininity.

    ANYWAY THAT WAS A RANT AND IM SORRY. I just want to make sure you understand what exactly women's rights is about. it isnt perfect by aNY means. (we have so many flaws.) but life is imperfect. the movement was made by imperfect people. we're trying our best though.

    but this was a thought provoking read. Im proud of you for being able to speak your mind even though you were worried about the backlash. I greatly admire you for that. It's important to have convictions and be solid in them. thank you for your words :)

    1. Faith, thank you for being so honest but also so considerate of my feelings. That really means a lot to me. <3

      I realize that completely and utterly - that the women's right movement started as a good thing and that there's good people behind it. However, especially where I live and for the majority in the states surrounding it's become more about women being better than men and getting jobs over the men. Even a friend of mine said that's what her school is teaching her and it's the same for a lot of the schools everywhere around here.
      So it's going a bit too far - something good is turning into something bad, which is sad because I think women can really make a difference in our world (the same as men).
      Thank you again for being so perfectly honest yet so respectful.

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  4. I agree 100% with this! You did -as usual- an amazing job of articulating honest thoughts about a tough topic in a graceful way.
    We've drifted so far away from what the Bible really teaches about this subject, and it's sad how the women's rights movement is not really focused on any legitimate concerns, just on instructing women to "fight becuase you can". And like you said, it puts down men in the process. None of that is God's way at all!
    Anyway, thank you for your honesty and courage in posting this, Kara. No matter what kind of feedback you get, it's worth knowing that God is pleased most of all. xx

    1. Aww thank you bunches Emily. It is sad how men are being put down and how we need more people to stand up for standing united in Christ. I think if we stand for that more, we wouldn't have to worry about 'equal rights' or 'women rights' or any rights - not if Christ becomes the center of our nation. All that would fall in place. =)
      Thank you for your comment - I really appreciate it!

  5. I definitely can agree with you on most points in this blog post! It was awesome to read your perspective...although I had this sinking feeling that Clinton would win because she's a woman and she didn't (thank God). So maybe there is hope, that although it's unlikely that Oprah would run for President, she wouldn't win just because she's a woman. But it's a big fear that I have as well. I'm not sure that a woman would necessarily fill that role in the best way possible...and I know that this election will probably have quite a few women running because of what has been going on in the news. Placing that in God's hands and trusting Him for sure!
    "But men are getting treated like dirt too nowadays".
    I also like this because I believe it is very true. Men have not always done a lot of things right and a lot of them are stuck in an ungodly view of women. But there are a lot of really awesome men out there who are seeking God's design for womanhood and manhood, and they just get shut down. So here's a shout out to them!

    Thanks for this post, Kara!

    1. Thank you Lauren - I'm happy to hear your thoughts!
      I agree that there are a lot of good men out there and they're shut down because 'all men' are treating women wrongly. Men I know personally have been told a lot of things like that and it's one thing that has inspired this post.

      About the coming election in the nearish future - let's pray for our country and pray hard haha. God knows what's coming and that's all that matters. <3

  6. Thank you! Just thank you for this post. (And thanks to Gray for telling me about it because this is amazing!) First off, I may not completely agree with everything you said, such as I feel women in the military kind of causes a struggle for men, whose instinct is to protect women, but oh my goodness this post is amazing and so true. Thank you for writing this. I just pray Oprah doesn't run and she doesn't win if she does, not because of her gender or race, but qualification. I mean, lots of people thought President Trump would be good because he's a business man. I, myself, hoped he would succeed because the President is like a pilot of an airplane. We don't want him to crash. But so far, I'm not super impressed with what he's done.

    I know God has this and I'm not too concerned. God has an amazing plan. And this post was amazing. Already my comment is probably too long. XD.

    You've gained a new follower today. <3


    1. Aww Ivie, hi, welcome to my blog. I'm so happy to have you and your (not too long), comment! You brightened my day.
      God does have an amazing plan and it's a blessing to be a part of it!

  7. Wow, this was really interesting to read. I completely agree with this, it's definitely something to think about/study. One thing that us girls in my family have noticed, is that men GLADLY open doors for any of us when we're in a skirt, there's a big difference when you wear a skirt instead of jeans.
    It was neat reading this. Thanks for sharing!!

    1. Thank you for that interesting fact - it makes sense and I just watched a movie where a similar thing happened. As I've grown I've sensed a need to dress more like a lady and see the beauty in it.
      Thank you for commenting!

  8. Regardless of how I feel about this topic I think you dealt with it well. You were considerate of both sides and tried to be fair rather than just adding your unstudied opinion to everyone else's. So good job!
    I do, in fact, agree with you on the overall concept. And I might venture to sum up the entire problem by saying that people are selfish sinners and like to take advantage of others. Different people, groups or individuals, rich and poor, males and females, wind up "on top" at different times and tend to oppress those below them. (a sweeping general statement-logical fallacy-I know but I am trying to make a point)If all of humanity stopped being selfish and truly treated everyone as an equal many things, including the need for women's rights, would be fixed. Sadly, we know that's not going to happen any time soon. :)
    It's interesting to note that I have always considered myself a feminist but as I grew up I realized I was different from many who take that name. I had brothers and I understood that women and men were equal and ought to have to the chance to develop their talents regardless of whether or not they fit their stereotypical gender role. However, common sense told me my stronger brother was more likely to get hired to haul brush for our neighbor than I was. And that, if I was hired to do the same job, I would probably get paid less because I couldn't move the larger pieces and/or would take a longer time to complete my task. Conversely, my brother was not likely to get hired for babysitting. Or, if he was, he would get paid less because he didn't know how to change a diaper etc. (lest my bros be offended, they do know how to change diapers-this was merely an example)
    Many who take the name "Feminist" however would believe that my not getting hired to haul brush or getting paid less was discrimination. To me it's just common sense and I accept that.
    Anyway, there's another long comment to add to your collection. ;)

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    2. Hey Ray! I couldn't tell if you were agreeing with Nabila or not, but I just wanted to let you know that I made this a post for opinions not debates.
      Thank you for your thoughts though!

    3. *Edit* Arnica's comment. I was thinking one of the one below that I was preparing to reply to. =)

    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

  9. *note I know like nothing don’t judge me
    So this post was just WOW. I also read through the comments and it was just so cool to see everyone’s opinion on this subject! Your an amazing writer and honestly your just so cool that you can write a post like this and publish it. That’s crazy cool. Personally I would call myself a feminist and still think that women’s rights is a thing that still needs to be fought for. Regarding Oprah I don’t think she will run because people say celebrities will run all the time but if she does run and wins it might partially because she is a women but overall not. Hillary ran and she was a women and was qualified with pretty much everything you can be qualified with. And she lost. To a person who was male and not at all qualified in any way. I don’t think I have seen any job signs that say like “for women only” but it’s probaly because a lot of times women don’t get the same opertunities as men. Regarding the whole masculine thing and men are better I agree that’s stupid. Women are meant to be feminine but I think what a lot of feminism and women’s rights is about is that is saying that you don’t just have to be feminine. You can also be strong and amazing and in command. Women getting jobs just because there women I think is something interesting I’ve never really thought about before because like??? Some things though are going to far regarding like the whole battle of the sexes thing. Some people are starting to think that there better which is exactly of what “equal” means you know. Regarding women wearing clothes that might be not appropriate of course wearing stuff that isn’t appropriate is bad but I believe you should wear what makes you comfortable. But also that reminds of when people get raped and other people saying it’s there fault for wearing the sting clothes. Like ummm nooo???? But anyway weirdly long comment aside I loved this!! Thank you so much for writing it!!

    1. Wow I didn’t realize how long that was 😂

    2. I don't really agree on all your points but I respect your opinions Nabilia and it was very interesting hearing them!
      Thank you!

  10. So true! As a female planning on going into the workforce (but eventually becoming a SAHM and homeschooling, Lord willing), I do find it frustrating that I'm going to get paid less than my male counterparts, even if I paid the same amount for my education, and am as compatible as they are, and sometimes even more so. However, I still don't consider myself a feminist, because I believe men and women are made differently, and the place for men is in the workforce, providing for the family. As we've seen from the entire feminist movement, women can stand up for themselves JUST FINE, but does that mean we have to? No! We can be independent and understand the different roles we're supposed to play. We can understand as much as men, and we can work just as hard as men (except maybe in physically demanding jobs such as construction workers, the army, etc); I don't believe that people should hire women based on their gender, but their qualifications. If a women is looking for a position as the same time as a man and is more qualified than the man, then I would see why the woman gets hired, but if the man is more qualified, then hiring the woman because she is a woman is not fair. ANYHOW. That was long XD.

    (Also, I'd like to say I appreciate how you're dealing with all the comments so graciously! You go, girl!)


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