fbpx
Potentash
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Fiction
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Skin + Beauty
  • Health
  • Relationships
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Fiction
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Skin + Beauty
  • Health
  • Relationships
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
No Result
View All Result
image from https://unsplash.com/s/photos/sad-black-woman

image from https://unsplash.com/s/photos/sad-black-woman

We Need To Stop Policing Women And Their Life Choices

Laura Ayienga by Laura Ayienga
October 28, 2021
in Opinions
Reading Time: 3 mins read
6 0
0
8
SHARES
43
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterWhatsApp

“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful.”

From time immemorial, women’s life choices have been under constant negative scrutiny. There are so many expectations for women, down to the nitty gritty, like how we sit down or even how we talk.

If you pay attention, there is an underlying presumption of how we, as women, are supposed to look, talk, behave, act, think, and respond. Subconsciously, a number of us have had no choice but to adapt to these expectations. Why? If we fail to do so, people make it appear as though there are repercussions, like never being successful in our endeavours.

A friend of mine was once told that she needs to slow down, and that if she worked too hard, she would not find a man to marry her. She seemed to have her life in order, including her finances, academics, career, and the likes. But, it seems there is a concept of having your life too much in order, and society does not take it well. So, being too hardworking is a problem, and the opposite? A problem as well. It’s almost as if we can never win this game of life.

Women are constantly being told what to do and what not to do. You wear waist beads? It’s a sign that you are trying to sexually attract men. You wear a choker? You may as well be a sex worker. You go on a date with a rich guy? You’re a gold digger. There are so many expectations, and it’s hard, if not impossible, to live up to all of them.

Conforming to the standards of a perfect woman should not be treated as an achievement. Because just as there is no perfect human being, there is no perfect woman. We need to be a little more compassionate, and to allow women to express themselves in the way that brings out the best in them.

The problem is that this narrative affects everyone differently, but almost always negatively. For the conformists, they may never live up to their full potential because they are constantly on edge about what others will think about them. For the non-conformists, they end up getting bashed by people. Without their knowledge, society imposes labels on them which still affect them. So, in the long run, whichever side you are on, you still end up being the loser.

The internet has not made it any easier because now more than ever, there is a platform for everyone to be heard, including those with misconstrued notions.

Women are body shamed on the internet almost on a daily basis. People feel as though they should have a say in how a ‘proper’ woman behaves. Their entitlement pushes them to insults and other forms of verbal abuse.

Even with all the progress we have made towards improving the girl child’s standards of living, it appears that there is still one thing holding us hostage. We need to allow women to choose what they want for themselves without being judgmental. Women deserve to be as free as men are in this life.

Stop telling women what they need to do, and especially if you don’t know them. You do not have to consume content that does not appeal to you, and you do not have to respond to things that do not tickle your fancy. You can look at something you don’t like in someone and let it pass. Stop dehumanizing women!

We Need To Declare War On Stereotypes: Here Is Why

Share3Tweet2SendShare1Pin1
Previous Post

Why You Should Change Your Perceptions About Money

Next Post

Opinion: Why Churches Should Pay Taxes

Laura Ayienga

Laura Ayienga

I am a passionate 22 year-old writer. I consider myself a young free-spirited soul whose personality is a mixture of introversion and extroversion. I’m a strong believer in the law of attraction. Everything is a reflection.

Next Post
A Kenyan church. Photograph by Ben Kiruthi. Image from http://benkiruthi.com/blog3/two-souls-beat-as-one-carol-rutos-story/

Opinion: Why Churches Should Pay Taxes

Please login to join discussion

Recommended

Woman stressed looking at her computer image from https://www.keckmedicine.org/nerve-pain-is-it-different-from-a-headache/

Woes Of The Young & Restless

September 3, 2019
135
Mobile apps. Image from http://www.americasbestfranchises.com/blog/5-mobile-apps-to-keep-you-productive-in-your-franchise/

7 Apps That Every Entrepreneur Needs

April 4, 2016
351

Popular Stories

  • Image from : https://bestlifeonline.com/fighting-with-spouse/

    An Uber Driver Ruined My Relationship

    265 shares
    Share 106 Tweet 66
  • 20 Funny Tweets That Will Lighten Your Mood During The 2022 Kenyan Election Period

    26 shares
    Share 10 Tweet 7
  • The Singlehood Series: He Came Home To An Empty House After Four Years Of Marriage

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • For Better Or Worse: He Stayed With His Wife Despite His Kinsmen’s Objections

    25 shares
    Share 10 Tweet 6
  • The Singlehood Series: He Abandoned His New Family For A Life Abroad Then Came Back Begging When Things Went Wrong

    29 shares
    Share 12 Tweet 7
Potentash

Potentash is an award-winning lifestyle blog. We publish lifestyle content that intersects with health, women, beauty, travel, business, relationships, finances and entertainment.

Categories

  • Ethics Statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2022. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

  • Login
No Result
View All Result
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Fiction
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Skin + Beauty
  • Health
  • Relationships

Copyright © 2022. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In