What Is A Woman?

What is a woman? 

It seems like a very simple question.

To me.

What is a woman to me?

I am a woman.

What am I?

I am strong. 

I am resilient. 

I am objectified.

I am soft. 

I am human. 

I am more human than human.

What is a woman?

A fighter.

A swimmer.

A singer.

A dancer.

A feminist.

A lady. 

A thinker.

A joiner. 

A dooer.

A gardener.

An activist. 

A student.

A leader. 

What makes me a woman?

I have the characteristics of the female sex. 

I have boobs. 

I have hips. 

I have thighs. 

I have a weak chin, browbone, and cheekbones. 

I bleed once a month. Sometimes twice. 

I spend at least 3 to 4 months out of every year from age 12 to 50 cramping and bleeding. 

I had to get out of a race at a swim meet because I had my first period and the pain was too great. I was crying furious tears of anger. My coach and my mom were very impressed.

I've been behind at school work or in dance class because I missed due to my period. It is not something women are allowed accomodations for. You miss it, and that is it. You miss out. 

I have been discriminated against at work for having emotions. 

I have been bullied at work for being a young woman. 

I have been sexually harassed at work. 

I have been bullied online. 

I have been sexually harassed online. 

I have been bullied in class in school.

I have been sexually harassed in class in high school. 

I have gone on vacations and had important milestones during painful periods. 

I have been in pain from ovulating and cramps halfway through the month on top of having cramps during PMS and my period. 

I was molested at around age 12 by a family member. 

I have had family members mention my breasts.

I have had friends mention my breasts.

I've had strangers mention my breasts. 

I've had family members mention my ass.

I've had friends mention my ass.

I've had strangers mention my ass. 

I have had men tell me I am fat. 

I have had men tell me I am a slut. 

I have had men tell me I talk too much. 

I have had men laugh in my face as a child.

I have had men laugh in my face as an adult.

I have had men make more money than me at the same job while younger and with less skills. 

I have had men shout at me from a car, in my flannel pajamas walking back from my child's bus stop in the morning. 

I have had men shout at me while I am walking into a concert. 

I've had men touch me while I was entering a bar. 

I've had men shout at me about my clothing. 

I've had men and women I don't know tell me their opinion of my hair. 

I have had to walk through a dark parking lot with a key between each finger and my carabiner supporting my knuckles like a set of makeshift brass knuckles. 

I have been sexually harassed in college. 

I was sexually harassed by another student.

I was sexually harassed by a professor in the same class. 

I have been sexually assaulted while black-out drunk. 

I have been raped while blacked out drunk. 

I have had men try and rip my clothes off while I am drunk. 

I had a man try and rip my clothes off in broad daylight while sober. 

I have been to the police with a crime and not been believed.

I have been to the police with a story of rape and not been believed.

I am a woman. 

Every time I assert my opinion someone comes round to fact check me. 

I can not make any statement of opinion or fact without orders signed in triplicate. Sent in, sent back. Even with every dot on my i's and cross of my t's on my sources I am still not believed. 

Believe women.

It means a lot more than we realize so far.

Love, 

JackieFuckingLane

P.S. I see you.