Women have fought for decades to be able to work, have possessions and simply take up space. Because of past activists, proposers of women’s rights have the opportunity to strip us of our rights; they use the convenience handed to them to indoctrinate society with men’s preferences.  

People like Marjorie Taylor Green and Candace Owens love to be loud and proud about what people can and cannot do. They seem to have forgotten, however, that they only had the chance to obtain positions of authority because of past activists.  

Women’s History Month was created in 1987, a very transformative year according to Historic Newspapers: Aretha Franklin became the first female artist to be inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Beatles released their first CD; The FDA approved the sale of an AIDS treatment called AZT and the National Museum of Female Physicians opened; President Reagan gave a speech in Berlin and the Supreme Court said schools teaching evolution don’t have to teach creation. 

Since 1987, ladies have been celebrating the acknowledgement of the violence and injustices women face every day; activists have fought tirelessly to gain women the recognition they deserve. Despite earning the freedom to obtain a job and simply take up space, some women choose to use their newfound freedom to set us backwards rather than forwards.  

Berit Brogaard wrote a piece for Letra Urbana about female misogyny. She discusses how women can be haters of women the same way men can, and women are sometimes even more outright with it than men are.  

“They are zealous converts to the same ideology as their male counterparts and deploy similar, and occasionally worse, hateful tactics,” Brogaard said. “In the hands of men and she-devils, misogyny is a tool for carving out a path for themselves.”  

When I think about powerful women who set us back, Amy Coney Barrett is the first name that comes to mind. She is either not aware of or has no turmoil over the damage created by the ideologies she supports. Stripping women of the right to choose what they do with their body is not a choice that supports her identity as a woman in any way, but rather furthers her status as a conservative judge.  

Women like Barrett think they make decisions that are for the betterment of civilization, but they are only taking away the rights so many generations have sacrificed themselves for. Barrett would fit into Brogaard’s “She-Devil” category, which is women who fought to reach higher levels use “every weapon at their disposal to protect their position against other ‘sisters.’” 

“She-Devil” individuals are the perfect example of why representation matters. Women who are taught they are inferior to men or that other women are simply competitors will not support their ‘foes’ in any way. Teaching girls from a young age about women’s history will help them create a healthy mindset and perception of themselves.  

If I could say one thing to women who oppose advancements in women’s rights, it would be to consider how it feels to betray a part of their identity and be on the side of history future historians will teach as a warning. I hope that any women who sees herself so negatively that she feels the need to put other women below her finds the internal strength to love who she is because women are incredible.  

Women are not dirty. They are not too loud or annoying or sensitive. They are not stupid or ditzy and they sure as hell aren’t weak. Women are compassionate beings capable of creation and provision. Use this Women’s History month to teach your sisters, nieces, mothers, aunts and fellow girly pops about the women who shaped society. Share the wisdom with any and all men who will listen, but never make it your responsibility to teach them what they are fully capable of Googling.  

Take care of yourselves this March ladies. Treat yourself and appreciate your talents. You are lovable. You are indestructible. You are what you want to be. Never let anyone, man or woman, tell you differently.