Femininity is anything pertaining to a woman or girl that has a fascinating aura of mystery and power. A lot of the feminine mystique that has been possessed generations over has been lost or muddled in the midst of feminism, androgyny and gender confusion. How can we get back what is natural to you and I? There's a mystery that's involved in trying to unlock the key to a woman’s “womanliness”, that makes her, Her…. Just like with perfume smells differently on everyone, so it is with femininity. Your smile, walk, talk and generally all those little things or that makes you, YOU.
Every woman has that something special that makes her who she is. That “it” factor could be many things that makes her who she is. Sometimes as sisters, we try and figure out what is it about ourselves that separates us from other women. No, it isn't a competition because we are all unique and special and should revel in who we are. As sisters, we spend a lot of time trying to figure out someone else instead of cultivating those qualities that are our makeup. The concept of femininity, is truly the essence of who we are as women. It’s in that essence, that truly separate us from men.
Though the term or concept of feminism may have some relevance to woman and girls in 2018, how it has woven itself in mainstream society today is uncanny. We live in the world of Bad B@#!**es. A loose definition of it can be a female who knows what she wants and knows exactly how to get it. Entertainers like Nikki Minaj or her now nemesis, the Bronx’s own Cardi B, glamorize this image of young girls and women supposedly having “their” own, taking care of business and just being all around bad (in a so-called good way of course). The images that come up when you look up the “Bad B(itch)” shows women scantily clad, brazen looking who appears to not be fully aware of their self-worth. Society today looks upon femininity as weakness in the midst of feminism. This Bad B**** syndrome appears to be a twisted updated version of the feminist movement that was started years ago. Feminism, is defined as the advocacy of women's rights as is relates to politics, social and economic equality to men. For a lot of women, The Bad B**** syndrome, takes women away from their natural selves and takes us on a road towards not only thinking like men but acting like men too. The feminist movement was a start for women to move away from the concept of the feminine mystique. The feminist movement, began in many ways was helping to dissolve the fabric of women's role in society. It painted the picture that there was more to life than being a wife and mother and knowing how to sew, cook and in general knowing how to act. It made a lot of girls and women think that their value was less if they were raising a family, did not work outside of the home or possess basic living skills. With countless years of women being told to be empowered and work outside of the home, it began to not only take hold but, actually, those who chose to take a more traditional route of being a homemaker began to question themselves and feel unfulfilled. The feeling of being empowered via education or work is phenomenal and exhilarating. Are we really who we were designed to be? As we moved towards this feeling of independence from a seemingly male dominated society, we also began to move away from the basics of society. The simple task of cooking is a lost art among most women. Many years ago, home economics which included cooking and sewing and were staples in the curriculum in school is now gone. Women being able to take care of business, oft times do not include cooking a meal or sewing that Bad B, outfit. The feminine side of ourselves got confused whereby, our roles were being reversed or shifted by means of design. Feminism is one of the reasons why femininity has slowly but surely crept out of our society as women.
Stay tuned for Part 2 in 2019.
