Warning: naughty language ahead!

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If you’re paying attention, we’re pretty hard to miss.

You can find us in coffee shops creating, in the boardroom calling the shots, in the classroom educating the next generation of leaders, or down at the PTA meeting raising hell. We might be breast feeding in public, we might be organizing activists to force change in our community, or serving meals at the homeless shelter.

Anywhere you go in this world, chances are you will encounter one of us.

We are your daughters, mothers, sisters, wives and girlfriends. We are sugar, spice, and everything nice. We’re kind and compassionate, intelligent and innovative, and you damn well better believe we are tough as nails. We are fearless, bold, and exceedingly capable.

We are formidable females.

We’re the girls Beyoncé was talking about—the ones who run the world.

We’re powerful beyond belief. Sometimes, we even amaze ourselves with our feats of strength and courage. Our strong bodies climb mountains, run marathons, and swim oceans. Some of us create little humans in our bellies, and then carry them on our ample hips. We can do everything boys can do—even the things we’ve been told we can’t.

We are strong as fuck, but we’re also soft. We naturally empathize with others. We are nurturing and compassionate. We will go to war for the underdog every single time, because we know that they need an advocate. We rock the babies, and kiss the booboos and bake homemade peanut-and-tree-nut-free cupcakes for the elementary school bake sale. We take care of our friends and neighbors when they need us. We’re sensual, attentive lovers, fiercely loyal wives, and kind, supportive partners. We’re the healers, the peacemakers, and philanthropists.

We’re just as smart as we are strong. No matter how many times we’ve been told by society that we can’t be smart and beautiful, or that we should dumb ourselves down so boys won’t be intimidated by us, we know that we have important contributions to make in this world. We use our gifts and talents for the greatest good of all sentient beings, just like Buddha taught us. We don’t make ourselves smaller to make the people around us comfortable. We know what we want, and we know exactly how to make it happen.

We are fearless in the face of adversity. We never back down from a challenge. Our fortitude comes from a deep, compassionate self-love. We don’t allow others to take advantage of our kindness, push our boundaries, or treat us badly. We stand up for ourselves, the people we love, and the things that matter to us. We give a voice to the voiceless. We share our unpopular beliefs and opinions. We allow our intuition to guide us, no matter which direction the crowd is going.

I like to say, “I didn’t become a bad-ass bitch because I had an easy life.” When I look back on all of the hardest parts of my past, I’m so grateful for them. I know that my scars have been my teachers, and that I couldn’t be the woman I am today without some suffering. Overcoming my past showed me my own fortitude, and gave me wisdom for the journey ahead.

Thankfully, I have always been surrounded by strong, amazing, loving, beautiful women who have held my hand through the challenges. When things get hard, we find out who our friends are. I’ve always been fortunate to have the best girlfriends on earth—friends who, over time, have become my family. Watching them overcome adversity has been one of the most inspiring parts of my life.

I know there is nothing we cannot do because we’ve been through all kinds of shit, and we’re all still standing.

The thing about formidable females that sets us apart: we’re grown-ass women. We handle our business.

We’re not petty or shallow. We don’t waste time trying to compete with each other—we’re too busy building each other up. We know that each of us is unstoppable on our own, but when we join together we are an immovable force of mother nature herself. We encourage sisterhood and collaboration, because we know that only love can solve the world’s problems. We don’t have time for drama or silly distractions—we’re busy getting shit done.

We are not daughters of the revolution—we are the mother-fucking revolution.

We are artists, teachers, and world leaders. We are the ones who will raise the next generation of empowered women, passing down everything we have learned from each other, so that our children can take care of this world when we are gone.

Author: Renee Dubeau

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Editor: Catherine Monkman