It’s unbelievable — and infuriating — that in the 21st century, with all the progress we claim to have made, there are still men who cling to archaic, misogynistic mindsets. Men who see women only as housekeepers, caretakers, or silent supporters of their every need. Even when you have a career, they dismiss your work, devalue your contributions, and strip away your identity as an individual. And sometimes it’s not even at home — it’s your coworkers, your boss, the very people you work alongside — shutting you out, blocking opportunities, and refusing to see you as an equal.

I’ve wondered if it’s because they’re intimidated — afraid of the power, intelligence, and resilience a woman can wield. But then I think about my own life. I’ve been pushed aside and belittled so often that when I finally get the chance to prove myself, I freeze, I self-destruct, and I feel as though I’ve failed before I’ve even begun.

Yes, self-esteem plays a role. But how do you believe in yourself when every voice around you says you’re incompetent, incapable, and undeserving? How do you rise when they shove you down, elbow you out, and treat you as disposable? The most twisted part is when you finally find the courage to change — to walk away — they suddenly soften, play nice, and lure you back into the trap. Back into the cycle. Back into the century of emotional abuse. The century of sexism.

But maybe that’s where the shift begins — in refusing to go back. In choosing, every time, to stand taller, speak louder, and claim the space they don’t want you to have. Because we are not here to survive in their world — we are here to rebuild it.

-Y