Personal Narrative: A 17-Year-Old Woman

As a 17-year-old female, life surrounded by superior men brings challenges. At first I felt discouraged, thinking that no one in the world likes or appreciates women. Watching the news one day, I saw braless ladies and men with bras on marching down the streets. The mobs of people chanting, shouting, and expressing their love for women inspired me to take action in my life. The encouragement and self-love I felt inspired me to never let men surpass me again.

Right out of tenth grade, I applied for one job, the CEO of a major athletic company. My half completed high-school degree, and my online feminist support group, gave me the courage to walk right into the interview room and demand the job. When I did not receive the job, my internet friends and I took to the streets to protest the unfair and sexist methods that men use when hiring people. When people assume a teen-girl can only apply fast food restaurants and clothing stores, feminism reminds me

that I mean so much more than simple household chores like cooking and folding cloths. Feminism also gives me the self-confidence to stand up to my boss about the 23-cent gender pay gap. My co-worker at McDonald’s works the fry station eight hours every day, but I work after school three times a week and take out the trash and still get paid less than him. When I asked my boss why my male coworker who works more hours in a different position than me gets paid more than me, he had no answer. Men stick up for men. And with feminism, women stick up for women.
Let us not forget about body shaming. Because of feminism, I feel so confident that I can walk around the beach in approximately two square inches of fabric and half of a top. Feminism encourages me to leave my house in the most professional clothing option known to man, the birthday suit. Feminism also makes me feel more confident in my body and with what I want in life. Feminism empowers me to love my body and accept me for how I look. When my boyfriend calls up to me and says “Honey get ready to go to McDonalds”, I have the courage to reply “First, I am not honey, bears do not eat me and bees do not make me! And second, stop calling me fat”! Feminism empowers me, as a woman, to feel confident in my own skin as well. I make men know that my natural look makes me unstoppable. Wearing sweat pants and not shaving allows me to look my best at anything from prom to my wedding. Painting on my face, bedazzling my cloths, and wearing my stilts for me make men upset even though they only enhance the features I already have. Feminism allows me to feel powerful in my own skin.
The laws and authority in this country makes it hard to step out of my house every morning.

The sexist laws and biased male authority cannot surpass a confident woman whose head grasped the feminist ideology. I was drove down a windy neighborhood road one day, and a male motorcycle cop flashed his lights and drove until he caught up to me. He claims that I was drove 20-miles over the speed limit, but he also had to go 20-miles over the speed limit to catch me. I, the woman, received the only ticket that day. And when I cried, the cop would rather write down “speeding” than console me. Cops, hired to help, punish me simply because I am a women. Even at school the rules favor the men. Guys can wear gym shorts that go to their knees every day but I cannot wear my 3” inseam Nike Tempo Shorts without getting dress-cut. And when we have to dress up for DLT or a sports game, my shirt-turned-dress that comes down mid-thigh always gets a dress cut but the boys shirts don’t when they clearly don’t come down past their

hips.
Honestly, feminism has allowed me victimize myself which makes me feel like I can express how I feel and prove my opinions can pass as facts. Feminism makes me feel like I can teach men the lessons they have needed their whole life. I also get to use my feelings to prove I my knowledge even when everyone disagrees with me while filling a void in my life where my self-confidence and pride sat.