I am a psychotherapist and hear daily of the challenges that face women. They all start with the attitude that females are less valuable then males. This belief is held by both men and women. Counteracting this insidious, culturally-supported belief, whether through helping a woman start to believe her own voice, stand up for herself, and value herself, or helping a man to understand his own biases and privileges, is an essential part of what I do every day. I believe things are changing, but I also believe there is a backlash effect happening, since we are challenging persons who are “power-holders” who do not want the balance of power, influence and privilege to change.
As a female, I have paid social prices for voicing my truth and challenging these deep, pervasive prejudices. My greatest wish is that young females, across the planet, look deeply at what feminism is and get behind it, and not back off because of fears of being called a “man-hater” or fear of being socially disapproved of. And, for young women not to believe the culturalization that says you are LESS THAN!