I’m just a girl🎀 - by Mimi🥀🌬️

When you hear “I’m just a girl,” what comes to mind? The saying “I’m just a girl” is often associated with femininity, vulnerability, innocence, softness, and sometimes the desire to be cared for rather than having to be strong all the time. I once read a Substack note that said, “I’m just a girl” sounds like sexism. When somebody says, “I’m just a girl,” they may mean, Treat me with softness, care, and mindfulness. And that’s not bad per se. They may mean they can’t take on any more tasks or that they aren’t strong enough to do certain tough jobs. Kind of like the idea of the “weaker vessel.” But what happened to feminism? What happened to wanting equality between both genders? What happened to fighting for women’s rights? What happened to firmly challenging norms and institutions? Can “I’m just a girl” do all that? Let’s take Harriet Tubman, for instance. After escaping slavery, Tubman repeatedly returned to help other enslaved people escape, risking her own freedom and life. Her courage was not simply about escaping suffering; it was about refusing to leave others trapped in it. Or the popular Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a Nigerian educator and activist who mobilised women against unfair taxation and colonial-era abuses of power. She helped demonstrate that women could organise collectively and challenge the authorities governing their lives.<img src="/media/inline_insight_image/IMG_1399.jpeg"/> Stay with me… What about the Aba Women’s Riot of 1929, when women in southeastern Nigeria mobilised against colonial policies and the warrant chief system? Do you think that if every single woman had claimed to be just a girl, they would have achieved a common goal strong enough to challenge the system?<img alt="" src="/media/inline_insight_image/IMG_1401.jpeg" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"/> Now, feminism doesn’t rob you of your femininity, neither does it make you a misandrist. Rather, it helps expand your mind to possibilities. I mean, women wouldn’t have been able to acquire degrees, pursue careers, and take up high-ranking official positions without women and others who fought to make those opportunities possible. So, are we fighting, or are we pretending to be okay? I hope that when you say, “I’m just a girl,” you mean, I’m a soft, feminine darling who wants to be treated right but wouldn’t trade my identity, voice, or potential for princess treatment. I hope you understand that you can be just a girl and still be a valid feminist. That you can be just a girl and still be the president. That’s the kind of girl you should be. Not “just” a girl, but so much more. 🎀

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