Woman power – or not?

In the past few weeks, I’ve done deep and meaningful posts. This week’s post, I’m going to have a bit of fun with. Let me know if you think how I’ve done – not if I haven’t quite made the mark.

When I see the words “woman power” or “women power”, I think of someone that can do multiple things and kick some butt all within a short span of time. This description is backed up by a few websites that define them as “…females who manage to wield power in societies that try to limit it or decree female submission; where their leadership is stigmatized and their creativity disdained. [It can also mean] women who resist and overthrow oppressive traditions and regimes. Who break The Rules in defiance of unjust legal and religious "authorities." Who pursue their vision in spite of the personal cost” and another website states “It could mean “I am woman, hear me roar.” It could mean “Women unite!” It could mean a lot of things to different people. However one thing I know for sure, there seems to be an uplifting energy and excitement when you say the phrase WOMAN POWER to another woman”. What I believe is that it comprises both of these meanings – you think of these terms and it fills you with energy and excitement and that spurs you on to do the wielding of power and resisting of overthrowing of oppression.

When I was growing up, there weren’t many areas where women could actually think they could have or get woman power. Then during the late 70’s things started to change – all of a sudden Wonder Woman, Cat Woman, Bionic Woman were all making appearances on TV. Then the “normal” TV shows were starting to focus that way – an example was Happy Days where Marion told people to “go sit on it” which was funny because before that she would have been told to listen to her husband and go to the kitchen or something. From there women in main rolls and kicking butt took off – You had Charlie’s Angels, Designing Women, and Murphy Brown.

Women in Key Roles

In the past few years, women have started to take the front line on many fronts - in business (CEO and chair of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi), in law (Supreme court judge  Sonia Sotomayor), in Science and Medicine (Jane Goodall conducted ground breaking work on chimpanzees), Television (host and actress Oprah Winfrey), and the list goes on and on. We are no longer the sex that has to wait – we can get out there in the world and stand up and make a difference. The hard part is to see where we can make the difference and getting the courage to make that difference.

Is violence the answer?

Honestly, I have my spurts of wanting to kick some butt, but I do that in different ways. Can I kick some butt? Sure I can – I’ve had self-defense training, but that’s to protect myself and those I care about. What I have learned over my years getting violent about it is not the way to go. There are other ways to go about getting things done. And in doing this, I must see that the worth is there and make sure what I do is ethical and fits closely with what truly believe, because if it doesn’t, it’s not worth doing.  When it’s worth doing, I put my all into capturing as much information about it as I can and finding avenues where it can be expanded upon in order to get the results that are expected. True, those results may change, but the end result is what matters and gets you to the desired finish line.

If I don’t truly believe what is important within my heart, then either you must leave it alone and stop it, or redirect it to what IS important within my heart. By my experience, if you do this, you will have the passion and the energy to put your Woman Power out there and kick some butt. 

 

This video of episodes of Charmed was taken from YouTube - but see how kicking butt is sometimes worth it?

Some people think it’s just a business or educated area for these feelings. That’s not correct at all. If anything, that is selling you, as a person, short. If you notice, I said “selling you as a person” which means everyone – not just women. We’d like to think, that but it’s all of us man, woman, and children. What’s to say that a person who’s a stay at home parent cannot be passionate about the children, something that concerns the household, or something that’s going on in the neighbourhood? It’s all in the perspective and what makes you act within yourself to be as powerful as the Wonder Woman, Cat Woman, Bionic Women, Alias, and Annie in Covert Affairs we have grown up with and continue to watch.

2010 Winners and Finalists of Eastern Metro Region of Adult,Community and Further Education Regional Awards

For me, it used to be working to get the best results for learners or students and those who support those students to get any kind of education to make them feel that passion or power that they have inside of them. That’s what kept me going because I could see by meeting some learners, just how important those feelings of power were for those learners. Those feelings were just as powerful for those teachers, tutors and practitioners who could see the outcomes in the learner’s eyes.  However, powers that be decided that’s not the case and decided to take my job away from me. It took me a bit, but I sat down, did some searching and have redirected those feelings into teaching those learners, writing up blog posts, taking classes and restarting the family history searching again. Do I wish I was back doing what I was doing for those learners? Sure I do, but now I can see I can do just as much good teaching, getting taught and writing about all things. Doing all of those things gives me those woman power feelings. 

This is me for Halloween one year - Woman Power Super Hero!

So let’s go out there and kick some butt!