March 4, 2024
By Zahara Chowdhury
Editor
I have a confession: I’ve never really celebrated Women’s History Month. I appreciate that we commemorate our marginalized community and the contributions of women every March, but I never thought it recognized my identity specifically.
Women’s History Month reminds us of the accomplishments women have made and tackles the important discussion of gender-based discrimination, and it promotes a more inclusive future. Progress for American women started with the first-wave feminist movement from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. It fulfilled the principal goal of guaranteeing white women the right to vote.
It focused on a white identity but neglected the struggles faced by women of color. This is termed white feminism, which refers to the circumstance in which feminists prioritize white middle-class women’s struggles and discomfort but do not recognize the oppression women of color and disadvantaged women face. It’s exclusive, but it’s mainstream because of its baseline feminism.
A recent example that epitomizes white feminism is when some claimed the 2024 Academy Awards snubbed Greta Gerwig of a Best Director nomination and Margot Robbie of a Best Actress nomination for the 2023 fantasy comedy film “Barbie.” They ignored that Hispanic actress America Ferrera was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for portraying the selfless Mattel employee Gloria and that the film received other nominations that acclaimed Gerwig and Robbie. Feminism seems only to capture the media’s attention when it centers around an issue focused on white women.
I cannot separate my South Asian ethnicity from gender because they go hand-in-hand. The model minority myth assumes that Asian American children are automatic prodigies, and as a Bangladeshi American, my parents have always expected me to have supernatural grades and dedicate myself to schoolwork.
I cannot separate my South Asian ethnicity from gender because they go hand-in-hand.
There is also a cultural expectation that Asian women not to be too loud because they are supposed to be docile. Somehow, being submissive and hyper-feminine is the status quo for us. The staple childhood experience for Desi women is being shamed for our body hair because it is considered unattractive in Western society, so I’ve shaved my facial hair since I was 11 years old. My beauty, demeanor and aspirations are all confined by stereotypes.
Despite the hardships, I love being a woman. I find it beautiful when my female friends and I are talking and we simultaneously say the same phrase or when we randomly gift items that remind us of each other. We read each other’s writing and rant about our favorite TV shows. Girlhood is such a specific phase of relating to and remolding each other, and I would never trade this pivotal experience.
I love it when my grandmother braids my hair, and I feel the prettiest when I wear special South Asian outfits, like the three-piece blouse, skirt and scarf lehengas.
The most important women in my life are my mother and sister. We encounter the same societal norms, and they taught me we should breach these stereotypes that try to dictate our character. I am naturally expressive, and no matter how dramatic I may get, my mother and sister tell me to embrace it because I am allowed to be intense. I can be everything men are predestined to be without others questioning my femininity. Being myself should not be a privilege.
Since 1987, the non-profit organization National Women’s History Alliance has declared the theme for Women’s History Month, and 2024’s is to celebrate “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” I am so happy to finally encounter a message that resonates with my opinion about this month. We must discuss the unsung stories of women advocating for intersectional feminism. Characteristics like sex, race, class, sexuality and more overlap, so we must address the unfortunate inequalities that accompany it.
Up until this year, I haven’t commemorated Women’s History Month as proudly as others, but I still recognize the need for awareness acknowledgments like this. From honoring days like Indigenous People’s Day on Oct. 14 to months like Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, we memorialize the history and contributions of marginalized groups.
I cannot recognize Women’s History Month without remembering the tribulations my community endures. Oppressed groups have confronted discrimination for centuries, and it is our everyday responsibility to reclaim our identities.
