Laura Beaumont
A Guide to Being Female
Updated: Mar 7, 2018

According to Greek mythology, humans were created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves. The ultimate truth in this is that man and women are complimentary to each other. If they unite and go hand in hand, they become gods themselves.
Hold up. If we are complimentary to each other, why exactly, since the beginning of time itself have we been treated like the inferior gender? We could throw it back to the beginning of time when Adam blamed Eve for his own decision of taking a bite from the fruit and subsequently women being blamed for letting sin enter this world. Unfair, isn’t it? Well, today, in modern day society, you could say not much has changed.
As I write this, I realise that history has shown one half’s quality has been cheapened and they have been demeaned. So, the fairer half is denied facilities of education, compelled to marry before leaving childhood, forced into maternity life before leaving school. Treated lesser than human. Marginalised, side-lined, humiliated and kept from all sources of power and freedom. Many of you may be blessed, as I am, with a life that embraces female qualities (shout out to you Beyoncé), but I tell you now, just because you cannot see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
For, I’m sorry to tell you, the world will try to tell you what to do, how to be and what to think based on the body you have been given. So here are four tips:
Tip 1 – Wear what you want, when you want it
No longer is it the day and age where we wear (millennial) pink to make the “boys wink”. We wear pink because we want to wear pink! Whatever colour of the rainbow you choose to wear, wear it. Girl, look in the mirror and feel fabulous in your own body because your garm choice is up to you. Period.
Tip 2 – Do not let any person dictate what you get to do
We live in a democratic, free society and we should be able to take advantage of its benefits. That means that whatever YOU choose to do with your life, don’t let anyone – male or female – take advantage of you, your ideas, or take control about how you conduct it.
Tip 3 – Stay safe
We haven’t won the fight YET and we are all aware of the dangers our society can throw at us. So, my advice is to be careful. Remember: Don’t trust everyone, who knows what situation you could be thrown into, we don’t live in a safe world; always make sure someone knows where you are going, day or night, if you are out alone; never take anything from a stranger, they could have ulterior motives. Most importantly, girls, we are all in the same position, look out for each other.
Tip 4 – The key to fighting oppression
What we all seem to forget, men and women alike, is that we are all from the same human race — we are all just people. People who cry, bleed, feel the ache of sorrow but also the sweet embrace of pure joy. At the end of the day, it does not matter what you are in life, but how you live it, how you love yourself and how you love others.
Remember to fight the system and tell the world ‘to hell with those discriminations’ because we are who we are and nothing will certainly change who you or I am.
“Your voice is loud, your heart is strong, your belief is worth more than a dime. Do not let them win." – Hillary Clinton