shut up, you’re just a woman.
You get on my nerves a lot.
Why do you keep fighting?
Why haven’t you given up?
Haven’t you learnt?
Can’t you see that things work better when you’re… quieter?
When you don’t ask too many questions.
When you don’t push too hard.
When you don’t challenge the way things have been.
It’s not that you’re incapable.
It’s not that you’re not smart.
It’s just… This is the way the world is structured. Okay?
And since it’s worked this long, why change it?
The world has its order.
And in that order, your voice comes second.
Sometimes, I consider your opinions.
I only accept your ideas when they fit into the bigger picture.
I allow you enough space to exist, but not enough to live.
But you?
Standing at the front? Taking charge? Speaking with authority?
That’s uncomfortable.
I can’t let that happen.
It makes me uneasy.
You’ve probably noticed.
Noticed how your competence is questioned in ways mine isn’t.
How your confidence is called arrogance while mine is called leadership.
How you’re expected to prove yourself again and again, while I am trusted by default.
Maybe you’ve noticed how when you go the extra mile, you’re “too doing much.”
And when you say too little, you’re weak.
And when you get angry, you’re emotional.
And when you don’t, you’re cold.
And when you succeed, there’s a quiet assumption that I had a hand in it.
And when you fail, well… of course you did.
That’s just the way things are, and I try to keep it that way.
However, I must commend the fact that you’ve even come this far, despite all my efforts to keep you grounded.
Some of you have fought valiantly for years. Pushing me back.
Giving your years. Your blood. Your sweat.
Some of you have even given your lives for this cause.
This cause to get me to see you as “equal.”
And I hate how much progress you’ve made.
I hate it so much.
Unfortunately for you, some of you agree with me.
Some of you, knowingly or unknowingly, are on my side.
They are the ones among you that tell you to stay in line.
To be softer, to be less aggressive, to not make things harder than they need to be.
The ones that make excuses for my every action.
The ones that never speak out on your behalf.
Today, or any other day.
The ones that are so conformed to the present way of doing things that they don’t see the essence of your fight.
The ones that have taken your cause and tainted it with their selfish desires and hatred.
The ones that don’t call out your wrongs as much as they praise your rights.
The ones that don’t use their privileged power to make a difference on your behalf.
Those people among you make it easier for me to keep this upper hand.
They hold you back.
Because it’s harder for you to unite against me when your camp is divided.
See, I’ve always believed I was right.
The world runs smoother when you’re quiet.
Things stay easier when you don’t push back.
Everything makes more sense when you don’t take up too much space.
Could I be wrong?
I don’t think so.
Maybe I am.
Maybe if I let you speak, I’d hear fresh perspectives that I’ve never thought of.
Maybe if I let you lead, you’d do things better than I ever could.
Maybe if I accept that you’re equal, the world would have a better chance of thriving in harmony.
But you see… I can’t do that.
If I do, I’d have to face the fact that this system and structure that I’ve benefitted from for years was never really fair to begin with.
If I do, I’d have to admit that your compliance isn’t agreement, but an understanding that speaking too loudly, pushing too hard, and resisting too much comes with consequences.
If I do, I’d have to accept that your strength is not a threat.
That your ambition is not unnatural.
That your ideas are not disruptive.
If I do, I’d have to admit that God didn’t make us differently so I could rule over you, but so we could complement each other.
If I do all that, I’ll be confronting my biggest fears.
My fear that you are just as capable of doing the things I can.
My fear that given the same opportunities, the same freedom, and the same trust as I am, I might not be better than you.
My fear that people among you could possibly surpass me in life, in business, and in influence.
My fear that you’ll expose how much of my power was never really earned, just handed to me because I decided my voice mattered more than yours.
My fear that I’ll be ashamed of myself if I truly come to terms with the horror I’ve put you through over the years.
I can’t face those fears: I just can’t.
It’s why I won’t let you speak.
It’s why I bully and harass and maltreat you.
It’s why I won’t let you access the places and positions that I do.
It’s why I won’t give you equal pay or equal working benefits.
It’s why I force you into domestic roles and try to keep you poor and uneducated.
It’s why I objectify and sexualise you as an attempt to reduce your humanity.
It’s why I twist and manipulate beauty “standards” so some of you feel inferior to the others.
It’s all intentional.
Even though sometimes I claim to be ignorant.
Or pretend not to be aware of the things that you face.
I know exactly what I’m doing.
And I know exactly why I do it.
Don’t make excuses for me, and don’t listen to the people who do.
Especially the people that should be with me but are on your side.
You may not think they are much, but there are many of them.
Backstabbers who want to give you an equal chance as us.
I will continue to fight to silence them.
The same way I’ve been fighting for years to silence you.
I won’t give you the chance to prove me wrong.
I won’t admit that I need you.
I won’t admit that you’re just as important as I am.
I won’t let your generation coming after you believe they have a place in this world.
The more you speak out, the weaker my hold gets.
The more you unite in purpose, the harder it is for me to kill your resolve.
The more you break barriers, the less control I can exert over you.
If you keep going like this, one day, you will win.
So stop begging. Stop fighting. Stop resisting.
Stop! Stop! Stop!
You’re making it harder for me.
I refuse to give up this power.
It’s a man’s world after all.
And you’re just a woman.
So, shut up.
Happy International Women’s Day. ❤
You are strong, beautiful, powerful, and your voice matters.
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Broo this was so nice 🔥🔥
Powerful piece