At a time when women empowerment is widely celebrated (perhaps more than ever before)…with the emerging women leaders in politics, business, science and technology, there is no doubt that men and women are equal in intellect and capabilities. To think otherwise would merit the label of being backward, uneducated, or a religious extremist of sorts.
While all of this is great news for women everywhere, there is a message that I find to be disturbing. That, as a part of being equal to men, it seems to be implied that we must be the same in every way. That to be empowered, we must be more like men. Thus, the qualities of dominance and aggression–with much emphasis on power and wielding one’s strength are highlighted. But perhaps there is a softer side of a woman that is equally valuable, just as important for making a difference in the world, and just as relevant to our empowerment as the fairer sex.
Empathy. Women are highly sensitive to the feelings and needs of others. We are quick to identify with those who are suffering, and are capable of embracing the troubles of others as our own. This may explain why there are so many women who are in the caregiver industry. The quality of empathy matures even further when women become mothers, because this allows them to identify the needs of their babies, interpreting their cries, and responding accordingly.
Communication. Women love to talk, and use 13,000 more words in a day than men. We are communicators by nature, and use quality this to get to know others, deepen relationships, and connect with those closest to us. This gives us a natural talent for diplomacy and pacifying conflict.
Intuition. A woman’s magical power of discerning the feelings and thoughts of others actually has scientific research to prove it! Research has shown that women are in fact better at nonverbal communication skills. A study compared two groups of men and women, and the women came out as superior in reading the facial expressions of men, and were more accurate in picking up on the subtle emotional messages sent by others.
Emotive capacity. Some view the quality of being more emotional as a disadvantage. But truly, to have many emotions has numerous advantages–such the ability to form meaningful relationships, to be more perceptive, and understanding the inherent value of the things and people around us. We care more about the world around us, precisely because we are more emotional.
Personalization. For women, “nothing personal” hardly ever applies. To separate a person from a situation or an action is almost impossible for the average woman. We tend to “mother” every person we meet, desiring the growth, development, and good of those we interact with, whether in the home, in social settings, or even in business.
These might be qualities less celebrated by the world, but we believe that these aspects of our feminine genius are what make it gentler, kinder, and more loving place. And that, we believe, is what girl power is truly about.
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