Imagine

Women are the heart of our societies. We carry, nurture, and deliver life into the world. We nourish all the humans that are born, and most often put the most energy into raising the children, regardless of what else we are doing with our lives. We are enormously important in shaping the character of every person on the planet — in every culture and in every society. At the same time, we are leaders, teachers, public servants, doctors, financiers, professors, chefs, nurses, builders, farmers, mechanics, musicians, photographers, aestheticians, servers, drivers, and countless other things… out in the world and also, often, all at once at home. We are attaining degrees in greater numbers, working hard at multiple jobs every single day, and somehow managing to still love and nurture our partners and/or (sometimes) ourselves. We are strange, magical creatures that operate at the peak of human capability. Yet, there are places in the world that don’t let us go to school, don’t give us justice when we are beaten and raped, don’t give us opportunities to lead in our governments, don’t pay us fairly for our work, don’t give us adequate time to bond with our babies, don’t provide affordable child care, don’t give us choices over our own bodies…. and not just abroad in developing countries… but here, in the “land of the free” as well. And how sad and pitiful it is that some of us that do the impossible have internalized this injustice and maintain such a maddening social order. We watch while our counterparts commit virtually every mass shooting, lead us foolishly into war, commit the most heinous violent crimes, and abuse us — all while taking the lion’s share of power and resources. Well — I imagine a world where more women lead our nations with an ethic of care and humanitarianism. Where we can be found thriving in every career where men have thrived for centuries. Where there are no more “firsts” — especially for Black women, trans women, queer women, disabled women, Muslim women, women of certain castes…Where we can be safe at night wherever we are, safe in private, safe in public and safe at work. Where justice is given to us when men assault our bodies, and the officers and courts no longer spare them of the shame. Where we can afford to learn and work and have childcare all at once. Where we can rest and be joyful and love our bodies and ourselves. A world where we are free. Let us hope that this is not only a dream, but a premonition of what is to come.