Dear Editor,
Shock was a widespread emotion among many people I know following the United States election.
Personally though, I wasn’t surprised. I knew that Donald Trump was tapping into sentiments running deep and strong in the world right now, and I had predicted this outcome.
In one of the conversations that I had with my mom after the election she said, “I just don’t understand how all these women could have voted for him!” I couldn’t answer at the time, but I could not stop looking for an answer in the following weeks.
When I saw that women all over were gathering together to protest against the outcome of the election and to stand up for women’s rights, I started asking myself, how do all those women who voted for Trump feel? I figured each one of them must feel divided in some way, knowing deep down that the March was so clearly necessary.
Then it hit me: as women we are often our own worst enemy. We’ve been taught all our lives that we are worth less than men in so many different respects, and we come to accept this thinking as the norm.
And then, even when a golden opportunity comes into the hands of women where they can actually make a difference ... they choose not to.
Yes, we live in the modern age. Yes, we have made progress in many aspects. Yes, women can accomplish pretty much whatever they set their mind to ... but the truth is that many of us still don’t believe we are worth it.
It comes down to this: men don’t really have to work hard to be “superior,” us women enable that automatically.
All of this thinking really got me frustrated, mainly with myself, because I realized I was not doing enough to change things myself. Plus, I really wanted to talk about these issues with other women in my community. So I decided to open a new group, just for women, to share stories, to ask, to educate and be educated, to be there for each other.
Facebook itself was starting to drag me down in an emotional sense, so I figured that if I was going to start a group, I’d better find something uplifting. I decided to start posting about inspirational women on a daily basis. This is also part of my personal journey as it allows me to gain more knowledge about the many women who have done great things and who I don’t know enough about.
Through the conversations and stories that have been shared on this group, I feel that I have gained confidence in myself, as well as a sense of shared positivity and openness.
All I can say as a final thought to this whole process is that nothing is “too small” and nothing is “stupid” or “worthless” when it comes to making a positive change. And in fact, starting small with our friends and family and community is the only way to make a true influence in this world. I’m so happy that I got a chance to understand this, and this leaves me very hopeful regarding our future and our kids’ future. As women, not only do we need to stop underestimating ourselves but we also have to support one another.
Thanks to all the women who have joined me in this group so far, and thank you to all the men and women who participated in the Women’s March on Bowen Island.
Sincerely,
Noa Neuer
