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Rebellion notoriously gets a bad reputation.
To the normal eye, it might look like someone who is stubborn, does not listen to others, and does as they please.
Rebelling has cost people every time it’s been done, especially women. Don’t get me wrong. I know men have struggled too, but when a man rebels, he receives fewer catcalls, feels less stressed, and, sooner or later, his demands are met.
Women on the other hand are given different and synonyms such as whores, arrogant, or even less deserving. This is not just my story but a lot of other women’s stories too. But as they are bashed by their relatives, they stop rebelling. That is exactly what my sisters have done. They were challenged and tired, mentally.
History is filled with many women who have rebelled, and among them was Veernagana Naveli, who was known as the woman who cut off her breast to oppose the breast tax in India along with the caste system that has perpetuated such rights. Post-modern women such as Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, and Maya Angelou have all led rebellions during their time.
So to all my sisters who never rebel, here’s my advice for you:
1. Know that being “sweet” does no good.
I know you think that you have to be sweet and obedient as a child. But seriously, you are making a compromise that is one-sided. You are being told that your desires are too much, your passions are too much, and your pleasures are too much.
2. You need to rebel.
I am not asking you to pull out swords and walk a march. All I am saying is you need to start standing up for yourself, especially when you have been given so much. You need to know that women in history, no matter what culture they were from, have rebelled a lot. Some of them rebelled against war atrocities while others rebelled under the great feminist movement while demanding equal rights.
I need you to understand that rebelling is not a bad thing. Anyone who rebels does so only because they feel they aren’t being heard.
Even modern-day pop stars have rebelled, like Britney Spears, who is trying to get out of the toxic clutches of her controlling, sexist father. If you need to do it, do it.
3. Understand that self-pleasure is a desire rather than a need.
Advocating for the need to pleasure oneself should not be associated with shame. Normalize talking about sex, breaking notions of sexual taboos, and don’t be swayed by anyone who makes you feel miserable for having pre-marital sex. Tell the sexist people to shut up!
4. You have a mouth, so speak and get your voice heard.
Use your voice for your own good too. Talk about your struggles in front of other people.
Usually, women are asked to shut up, but you don’t need to do that to yourself. Whatever it is, let it out. The right people will always understand you.
5. Know that the modern-day scenario is standing with feminism.
Despite the fact that patriarchy loves to hate on feminism, a movement started by women, feminism now even recognizes that men suffer under patriarchal systems. It aims to promote gender equality.
So make sure you educate yourself and read articles on feminism to know where those struggles stand.
As Malala once said when she spoke about her experience:
“I don’t want to be remembered as the girl who was shot. I want to be remembered as the girl who stood up.” ~ The Huffington Post, September 2013.
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