Since the beginning of time, women had to fight for their respect in the world. Whether in the corporate world or demanding equal value from men, women seemingly spent forever wading through the trenches of sexism in order to gain equality.
But as we enter a new year, one has to wonder if men are really the biggest enemy that women have to worry about these days? It seems like women have become their own worst enemies.
During my two years at Florida A&M University, an environment where women outnumber men, I’ve befriended a plethora of intelligent and talented women. Getting up-close and personal with the with the elusive, and often times mysterious, opposite sex has allowed me to notice several idiosyncrasies that many women possess.
The confident and successful women of today have don’t have to bend over backwards to their men counterparts as much as women of the past. They have a new villain blocking their path to success – their female peers. The confident and self-assured women of today have become public enemy No. 1 for the rest of the female population.
I’m sure you’ve seen this scenario a million times; it’s the first day of class and “that” girl walks in the door. She’s dressed to kill in the most professional, yet stylish, attire. She enters the classroom with the gusto to learn and ace the course.
She’s all about business and isn’t afraid to look good while she does it. Now I pose a question, how is this young lady regarded by her female classmates?
Do they commend her drive and good style, or is she looked at with a slanted eye and dealt a barrage of snide comments behind her back?
Women of today seem more comfortable picking apart the flaws of other women than actually applauding the ones who are handling their business.
This is proven in the recent uprising of the Internet blog.
I can’t tell you how many times in the last year I’ve read about Rihanna’s forehead or seen an exposé about how Beyoncé needs to “sit down somewhere.”
Do you think men are the ones writing the majority of this stuff? Of course not! With the exception of the notorious Perez Hilton, it’s mainly other women picking these young ladies apart.
But my question is a simple one: Why? Is the new breed of women being constructed to “hate” instead of “congratulate”? Confident and physically secure women are prime targets for other women to displace their own insecurities.
Please don’t think I’m generalizing all women when I refer to this subject. Let it be known, there are plenty of women out there who are secure enough in themselves to issue a compliment to another female without an undertone of sarcasm.
But let’s be real ladies, you have a hard enough time trying to get through the blatant sexism that still exists in many of the Neanderthals of the world, so why make it harder on one of your peers who is battling the same fight as you?
Next time you see a fellow woman working hard and doing it successfully, worry less about her hairstyle and more about the fact she’s hustling for that same dream you are.
Mike McLafferty is a senior magazine production student from Port Charlotte. He can be reached at McLafferty@t-mobile.com.