What Being a Powerful Woman Means to Me
As an observant child, I quickly realized that by societal standards, the concept of ‘being powerful’ seemed to be reserved within the masculine domain. I’d watch princesses get rescued from castles, Hollywood heroes sweep beautiful women off their feet, and see male superheroes save the day.
All associations of bravery and independence seemed to be ideals of manhood that I, as a young girl, could not relate to. But luckily, as I grew older, all that began to change.
Despite what representational norms and societal stereotypes seemed to force upon me, I began to see powerful stories of struggle, sacrifice, and strength in the women around me.
I saw courage in my devoted mother, who gave up 15 years of a career to take care of her children, only to jump back into the job market as the founder of a company.
I saw valor in my grandmother, who fought to be educated before being married and went on to become a teacher.
I saw strength in my aunt, who almost single-handedly raised my sister with autism, preparing her to be a woman herself someday.
The more I looked around, the more women I found who dared to pave their own way in a world that often sought to put them down, and to me, nothing could be more powerful than that.
And so, my definition of what powerful meant evolved from the representations of masculine strength, into new connotations of empathy, love, resilience, and compassion. I learned that powerful women are everywhere. They are the women who continue to write their own stories and remain true to who they are. They are the women who live their lives fearlessly and use their voices to claim their space.
Not only are powerful women our epitomized role models like Michelle Obama, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC), and Malala, who raise the bar, shatter the patriarchy, and lift the ambitions of millions of young girls who look up to them, but they’re also the ordinarily extraordinary women that we encounter in our everyday lives - the women who face their own silent storms and battles but continue to seize each day, standing tall.
With the world filled with people who limit the aspirations of women, telling them that they’re not smart enough, pretty enough, or good enough, women often don’t realize their own power. But being powerful, much like being successful or happy, is yours to define.
It is by redefining norms, believing in our own limitless potential, and having the courage to push our boundaries that we are able to break the societal shackles put onto us and achieve everything we set out to be. You are a powerful woman, just as much as I am or the next woman is, as long as we have the strength to see ourselves as such.
Written by Aastha Malik
