Last Sunday, we commemorated Women’s International Day and I didn’t want to let such an important date go unadverted, especially because deep down I think I’ve been a feminist since a very young age.
I’m the oldest of four sisters. Yes, all women. I had the privilege (I’ve come to realize, that it was indeed a privilege) to be born to parents who raised me to believe that I could do ANYTHING regardless of my gender. As a matter of fact, gender was never a part of the conversation when it came down to capabilities and opportunities. However, I’m aware that this is not the case for a lot of girls around the world.
Even when my immediate family has always been supportive, it hasn’t always been the case outside that nucleus. I was born in a very traditional extended family in which investments made in education for women were not a priority. Comments about the low chances of educated women getting married were and are still frequent. Through important sacrifices that my parents made, I had access to some of the best educational opportunities. The schools I attended were also supportive of gender equality. I was consistently at the top of my class, which in turn opened other opportunities in my life. For me, gender was never a limitation; but I can´t deny that I was part of a minority.
The gender gap became more real when I started college. I attended an American college in a very traditional US state. Being the only woman in a classroom was common due to my choice of major. Even though I had proven that I had what it took to be a business woman by going through a demanding selection process, some days felt like proving myself was on on-going process. After college I joined the male-dominated banking industry, which required me to pass a 65%-pass-rate exam to get the licenses required for trading, which I did and excelled at. Yet again, being asked by clients to transfer the call to an English-speaking man was more common that you would believe.
As I came back to Mexico, I was lucky enough (see, unconsciously diminishing myself). Correction, I earned the opportunity to be hired by a great company in which the gender participation is close to even. Due to my performance, I’ve been given growth opportunities regardless of my age and gender. However, every now and then I find myself in a meeting or in front of a certain forum having to fight subtle maleness ideologies or having to put extra efforts (when compared to my male peers) trying to prove myself. This leads me to believe that there’s still a long way to go as a society.
So, yes. As negative connotation feminism has nowadays, due to radical perspectives about feminism, I’ve always been and probably always be a feminist. No, I don’t (and never hope to) fight against men. My personal feminist fight is against sex stereotyping, industry specific bias and women’s careers being negatively impacted due to motherhood. My fight is for equal rights and opportunities and for achieving gender equal pay. My fight is all about women empowerment.
I’m far from being a role model in regards this topic, but I hope that the little actions I take every day as a woman personally and professionally speaking, are causing a positive impact. I dream that one day my future daughters, nieces, granddaughters and girls around the world know intrinsically that being born a woman is not restrictive of how much they can achieve in life.
Unapologetic Thoughts 