Abby Butler

Pro-women. I really like that term. I like that term because it drops the labels.

It doesn’t stereotype me as a “feminist” or any of the stereotypes that fall under that umbrella.

Being pro-women has nothing to do with comparing the differences between genders.

It doesn’t promote equality nor promote superiority. The term pro-women simply supports women.

As a young woman, I see how negative the label “feminism” can be, and for a lot of reasons, I hate it just as much as some do.

Being pro-women doesn’t carry those negative labels because it does not focus on gender differences.

It’s about our gender. It’s about supporting women’s talents. It’s about supporting women’s struggles.

Pro-women to me represents the encouragement and empowerment each woman wants to see in every other woman. It is about caring for your well-being as well as the other women around you.

To support women does not mean you are against men. Pro-women is not demeaning toward the other gender, nor is it thinking women are superior.

I don’t walk around saying I am a feminist who supports equality between genders, but then turn around and say, “men are trash.” It’d be strictly hypocritical to do so.

I instead walk around supporting men and women alike. I choose not to talk poorly of my own gender, so why would I of the other?

I see being pro-women as not comparing genders, but appreciating your own. I am a woman and proud to be one.

So many things about women are unique. I want to embrace them. I want to support women and their every ambition to be successful, to find happiness and to make a difference.

I don’t want to say men and women are equal, because while we are both human and deserve equal social, political, and economic rights, biologically men and women are inherently different.

To be a woman is not a setback, and I don’t feel like I have been oppressed; I feel blessed.

I acknowledge my privilege and know my experiences aren’t universal, nevertheless, these are my personal feelings. I personally see the struggles women face every day with issues such as personal confidence, body image, and self-worth. Being pro-women recognizes those struggles and supports women as they face cruel stereotypes.

Just like women are compartmentalized, I recognize that men, too, often face the same stereotypes.

As a woman, however, I can relate to other women. I can sympathize with the struggle to fit in, the struggle to feel worthy, and the struggle of different expectations.

Being pro-women means that I support women because I know what it is like to be one.

I hope that other women out there, like me, drop the labels and stop the “fighting” between genders and start supporting their own. So while I can, I will be pro-women and strive to empower, encourage and esteem women like myself.