"The Future is Female"

[lpvander]

I first saw this quote "The future is female," emblazoned across the chest of Janelle Monae's t-shirt at the Women's March. It's something that inspires me on a daily basis, but I'm wondering what others think or feel when they read it? What does that kind of future look like/mean to you?

But also in a much broader sense: what are other ways we can implement female empowerment as a life skill?

 

[nfilas]

I first saw this quote "The future is female," emblazoned across the chest of Janelle Monae's t-shirt at the Women's March. It's something that inspires me on a daily basis, but I'm wondering what others think or feel when they read it? What does that kind of future look like/mean to you?

But also in a much broader sense: what are other ways we can implement female empowerment as a life skill?

I like this quote a lot. It immediately makes me think of the fact that my husband and I are raising our girls while I work on finishing my Masters. I am working so hard to make sure that I am a good inspiration to show my girls that women need to have the ability to stand on their own. That’s is why I work so hard at it.

 

[SteedBonnet]

I understand the sentiment behind these types of slogans/ideas; however, I don't particularly like the idea of any one sex or race dominating the others. As a white male, I understand that the past has not always been kind to women and "people of color." However, instead of trying to single out one particular group as having ownership over the future, it would be nice if we focused our energy on carving out a future where everyone can thrive and live together in peace and harmony.

 

[lpvander]

I understand the sentiment behind these types of slogans/ideas; however, I don't particularly like the idea of any one sex or race dominating the others. As a white male, I understand that the past has not always been kind to women and "people of color." However, instead of trying to single out one particular group as having ownership over the future, it would be nice if we focused our energy on carving out a future where everyone can thrive and live together in peace and harmony.

I understand as it's more of a slogan than a quote (i.e. it's more of a condensed statement that doesn't flesh out everything it means) that men might perceive it as "ownership." But I don't think we as women see it the same way. It's a way to say that the future will have more women doctors/presidents/CEOs. That women will have more (i.e. complete) say in the rights to our bodies. That women won't be held to impossible double standards by society at large. That the future will be something it has never been in the past: an equal place for women. It's not an attack ON men, it's a rallying cry FOR women.

 

[SteedBonnet]

Yeah, I get it. I just don't understand the need for differentiation. I am very much a proponent of equal rights. I support the ideas behind the "Black Lives Matter" movement, for example. I also did not understand why some people were given heat over remarking that "all lives matter." In the end, we're all animals who share a common ancestor.

 

[mctking]

"Black lives matter" is not a statement that seeks to assert that black lives matter more, and that other lives matter less, it simply asserts that black lives MATTER, despite the fact that historically, judicially and sociologically, they have been treated as less than. It's totally valid to want to promote equality, but the fact is, we live in a society that touts ideological equality, but does not practice it. So the slogan might seem preferential, but it's really more of a cry for equilibrium than anything else.

Same goes for "the future is female." I read it as: the future will include women in a way it never has before, not: women will have a monopoly over the future. Again, it's all about bridging disparities.