Interesting.
Never having grown up and lived as a woman, I can't really say what messages I might have received about being a 'real woman', or whether these would be consistent.
I guess the input of women is required here.
My outside and limited perspective is that no one really places the same emphasis upon a somewhat monolithic ideal of 'woman' like they do with men. It's fine to be a feminine woman, fine to be a masculine woman, fine to be a mother, fine to be childless, and so on. Though this is likely as much curse as blessing. Although no one is left outside of 'womanhood' in the same way as some men are left out of manhood, women within are expected to be and do everything, including contradictory things - be gentle and be tough, be independent and be submissive, be a perfect mother and a perfect career professional, etc.
If I'm even remotely accurate, it may be said that men either narrowly conform or are thrown out entirely; whereas all bar the most outlier women are all granted inclusion, but the price is eternal pressure to embody an impossible ideal.
Never having grown up and lived as a woman, I can't really say what messages I might have received about being a 'real woman', or whether these would be consistent.
I guess the input of women is required here.
My outside and limited perspective is that no one really places the same emphasis upon a somewhat monolithic ideal of 'woman' like they do with men. It's fine to be a feminine woman, fine to be a masculine woman, fine to be a mother, fine to be childless, and so on. Though this is likely as much curse as blessing. Although no one is left outside of 'womanhood' in the same way as some men are left out of manhood, women within are expected to be and do everything, including contradictory things - be gentle and be tough, be independent and be submissive, be a perfect mother and a perfect career professional, etc.
If I'm even remotely accurate, it may be said that men either narrowly conform or are thrown out entirely; whereas all bar the most outlier women are all granted inclusion, but the price is eternal pressure to embody an impossible ideal.
