Is female privilege real? Does it truly exist?
Female privilege is a very touchy conversation. It can spark a backlash or instant agreement, depending on who hears it. For women, it sounds like a dismissal of our hard work, like it can only come from a place of moral accusation.
Privilege is an unearned advantage or special right. Female privilege is the conception that women have special societal, legal, financial, and interpersonal advantages based on gender. Historically, women have been marginalized globally. Political underrepresentation, gender-based violence, and income gaps are a few of the obstacles in a woman’s realities. They don’t just exist as theories. An unbiased conversation must first acknowledge that patriarchy is not a myth and that women face systemic barriers men rarely face.
Female Privilege is Real, But It Doesn’t Cancel Hard Work
Acknowledging gender discrimination does not mean we should deny that women can experience advantages in certain situations. In some societies, women have more advantages. In areas like family courts, women are more likely to receive primary custody of children.
Are these advantages universal and enjoyed by all women? Absolutely not. A white woman in Western cultures does not have the same experience as a Black woman in a developing country. These advantages do not erase the real risks women face, especially harassment or sexual violence.
A recent banter between Korty and an online troll is evidence that the society is quick to dismiss women’s achievements as female privilege. If a man achieved the same feat, it might not even be acknowledged, because it is seen as the normal thing to do. The society draws the line when it comes to women.
The best part about this is that Korty documented her growth. We all experienced her challenges and roadblocks. Watching her spend days out in the cold all to get an interview with a celebrity. Yet, some people question her success. Men find it convenient to mask their envy for a woman’s success by attributing it to “what she did to get there.”
Why the Conversation Matters
Thinking a woman has it easy because she is a woman is a big joke in a patriarchal society. Female privilege is real, but is it not being perpetuated by men?
For decades, Black women have had to prove their worth in society. You have to prove you deserve to be in a space and fight to remain in the space. “Show them what you are made of,” “Make them respect you,” “Prove to them you belong here.” A woman is told how to act, how to react, who to be, and when to be who.
When she speaks with confidence, it is seen as arrogance. When she is assertive, she is proud, condescending, or aggressive. She is raised to be better for the men in the society. Truthfully, women face these challenges without a break. Now imagine working hard, pushing back these obstacles, only for it to be ridiculed as “female privilege” or immorality.
Female privilege is real in a few contexts, and it often comes at a cost. You can only do so much with a pretty face. When it comes to offering value, you will need to step up. It can get you through a door, but it doesn’t keep it open. It makes people look your way, but it doesn’t hold their attention. No one builds a life or sustains a career on female privilege without hard work.
The society is mad at women for being audacious. If the society keeps questioning a woman’s achievement, it makes me wonder if we are really interested in equality or just the narrative.
