Being strong and being feminine are not synonymous. For far too long this ridiculous perception was perpetuated in society and media.
Femininity, until recently, was often associated with being petite, delicate and kind. While it should include being kind, femininity can also include being brave, powerful, and bright.
Today, the big budget superhero movie, Wonder Woman is helping change the perception of femininity in the eyes of children, teens and adults. Although Wonder Woman is not a real-life person, the movie inspires watchers to think beyond the stars beauty to her sense of loyalty, bravery, determination, honor and extreme strength, As an adult, I know how strong I can be but as a young girl I had a different perception and understanding of strong women.
As a society, we should strive to create more cinematic masterpieces such as this one. Not only did I come out of the movie theater feeling empowered and confident, but suddenly my insecurities started to melt away. I realize there was more to life than fitting in jeans and paying rent. Just because I am a woman does not mean I cannot accomplish great things and just because I am female does not mean I am not as strong as my male counterparts. I finally understand why my male peers enjoyed superhero films so much – they are fantastic at helping you feel courageous and intelligent.
From the start, the Amazon women in this movie display a power image — in combat, on horseback, wielding swords. It illustrated bravery and strength which was then instilled into the passionate young women in the audience. In today’s society, we see women gaining ground on being strong and powerful as well as being beautiful — but movies such as this one can really help drive this idea home.
In my opinion, not only did the film portray a strong woman lead, but also enabled the audience to see a strong woman working alongside with strong men making it a truly inspiring and eye opening movie.
The goal we have as working women is to level the playing field for both men and women and to create an environment to work together to be stronger and more efficient in the workplace.
This movie can relate well to how capable women are in their chosen industry or field of work. It helps break the stigma and stereotypes women often face in traditionally male dominated fields. I previously had the opportunity to interview Chairman of the Board, WINGS for Growth, Bob Eng. He mentioned that
In order to make an even stronger workforce, we must tap into the potential of women, and that both men and women must advocate for women to help build up the workforce together. Advocating only for men in the workplace means the world misses out on 50% of the potential of the workforce, as the other half is women!
In some ways, Wonder Woman can be compared to the professional women of today. Working women continually break stereotypes surrounding many fields, positions and capabilities. Mentoring programs such as WINGS for Growth, provides a space for young women to really push forward in their career and gain ground on being successful. We enable and encourage young professional women to be the best version of themselves by providing guidance, opening up networking opportunities and bringing out the fire determination, bravery and strength already inside – creating the next generation of business Wonder Women!
We at WINGS for Growth> are always looking for more volunteers, mentors, mentees, and champions. If you would like to learn more please visit our website and follow us on social media links from below.
Until next time,
Anita
This blog article was contributed by Anita Chitnis an aspiring writer, blogger and a volunteer at WINGS.
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