Where does our fight and fire come from as women? Most recently, we have witnessed the awesome power of women in the sweeping #MeToo movement. This is a highly visible and global social movement for the recognition of women’s rights worldwide, built upon the many women who have come before us, fighting equally as fiercely. The recent movements have produced pink pussy hats, t-shirts, catchy slogans like #MeToo, in addition to caused real world actions, like the firing of top male executives. The women’s movement, associated with the feminist movements of the 1920s and 1970s, has gone through many iterations and leaders, yet has remained constant, if not always visible to the public eye. Some may ask what has the feminist movement’s contributed in the past 20 years because there have been no clear victories like achieving the right to vote or securing sexual and reproductive rights. Part of this lack of recognition about the achievements of our women’s movement is grounded in the fact that women are socialized to be modest. We often feel uneasy about celebrating our own successes. We worry about being judged as arrogant or too loud, unfeminine. Although, at times, it feels like we are backsliding, there has been steady momentum tackling gender-based violence and right to work and equal pay. Then #MeToo appears. This slogan actually appeared over ten years ago by Tarana Burke (2006) as a way to empower those women of color who have been sexually harassed. She never envisioned it would go viral as it has, but marvels at the power of a woman’s voice. What we are doing now is more difficult than achieving the right to vote. We are changing social norms. We are changing what is expected of us, redefining what it means to be feminine, and reassessing what it means to be a woman.
How do we demand change? We use our voices. We use our sports. We use our daughters. We be the examples for the next generation of what it means to be a woman, an athlete, and what we expect for our lives. We are becoming essential playmakers and coaches. For generations, men have relied on women in the domestic realm, the home, but the recent women’s movements have begun to make women indispensable to organizations, as well as to political and social movements partnering with other minority rights groups like the LGBTQ, indigenous, racial justice, and disability movements. Women are the organizers and the communicators. Ruling over one’s sport. These roles gives us great power. The more women in leadership positions, the more there will be in the future. The more we demand recognition for our achievements, the more we will be recognized.
The power structures we fight against are only a fairly recent historical phenomena. Women have had many powerful roles in past societies. We must keep in mind that the way things are now is not how they’ve always been. Two powerful political female examples from the ancient world include Zenobia, queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria and Cleopatra, the last Pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt. These women were praised for their superior intelligence, as well as military and economic policies that expanded their territories and led to prosperous empires. Then there are many examples of women leading rebellions and independence movements, like Joan of Arc, a French heroine, and Lakshmibai, the queen of India’s Jhansi State who led the rebellion against British colonial rule. Finally we have the examples of the powerful women of the modern era, including Anna Eleanor Roosevelt who was an American political figure, diplomat and activist., Queen Victoria, ruler of the vast British Empire and who an entire era (the “Victorian Era”) was named for, and Indira Ghandi, the Prime Minister of India. These women rose to power by strategically navigating the power structures of their times, outwitting and out-achieving their male opponents. We must be more vocal about our achievements and accomplishments throughout history. We have many examples from the historical record and the present who give us hope and strength. The female voice is one that now demands recognition and represents a rallying cry to others who have too long put up with the status quo. There is power in one, but there is more power in a unified group. We do not have to agree on all the issues. We simply have to agree on one: the right of women to speak their truth and to show their power. Let women rule their own sport.
Lauren Alston Bridges is the very first philosopher for the International Women’s Flag Football Association. Lauren has served the IWFFA over the past year sharing her thoughts, opinions, stories and philosophy to better understand a history of women all over the world. Her tenure is up and she moves on focusing on her field of study: archeology.