What would a world full of rebel women look like?
Good Girls who have been Deprogrammed
What would a world full of rebel women look like?
As we were putting the finishing edits to the book, one of my early readers asked what the world looks like when women are deprogrammed from their Good Girl Conditioning.
So Ceryn Rowntree (the author, my book wingwoman and rebel woman who wrote the foreword to Good Girl Deprogramming) and I did some imagineering and here’s the list we came up with:
We can walk alone after dark with headphones in and our hair in a ponytail and not have to put our keys between our fingers.
Men are allies - they protect us, not because we’re weak, but because we’re important.
There is no gender pay gap.
Children are co-parented with each partner taking on their equal share of emotional, caring and domestic duties. Dads wouldn’t be praised for ‘babysitting’ their own kids.
Women would be less tired, we would be more rested and we would understand that we need to take care of ourselves.
“Hustle” culture, worshipping at the altar of busyness would be something we laughed at, like how we see smoking on planes.
Organisations would be set up to get the best out of all humans (read Carol Stanford’s Regenerative Business for more information on this!)
There would be 50:50 representation at all levels of government, organisations etc.
We would be able to wear what we wanted - if Dolly Parton wanted to wear teeny tiny shorts at the age of 77, we would cheer her on and not judge.
Nobody would care if women shaved or not. It’s nobody’s business. And come to mention it, the only person who would have any say in a woman’s body, is that woman herself.
No would mean no. It’s a whole sentence. Not the start of a negotiation.
All humans would engage in respectful communication.
The word ‘nagging’ would be retired. And no longer used as an excuse to harm women.
Women would be listened to, and their ideas tried.
There would be no more #MeToo, there would be no need.
We would no longer need to smile in a chagrined way when confronted with sexism and misogyny.
Women’s medical problems would see an increase in funding to the same levels as men’s and medical professionals would be trained to recognise these. Women would not have to wait 7+ years for a diagnosis of endometriosis.
Prostitution would be a thing of the past.
Female rivalry would be unheard of. Women would support other women.
Domestic violence would be eliminated. For everyone.
There would be fewer women in prisons.
FGM would be abolished.
Nobody would think to send unsolicited dick pics (why do they do this?!)
Then I asked Chat GPT and it came up with some surprisingly good suggestions!
Acknowledgment and addressing of intersectionality, recognising that women experience various forms of discrimination based on factors such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.
Women embracing their bodies without societal pressure or unrealistic beauty standards, promoting body positivity and self-love.
Women actively participating in environmental and climate change initiatives, contributing their unique insights to create a sustainable and equitable future.
Recognition and celebration of the wisdom that comes with age, where older women are valued for their experiences and insights.
Open and non-judgmental conversations about female sexuality, breaking taboos and allowing women to explore and express their desires without shame.
Workplace policies that support working mothers, including affordable childcare options, flexible work hours, and environments that recognise the value of both work and family.
Recognition and value placed on unpaid labour, acknowledging the contributions of women in caregiving, homemaking, and community-building.
Women from different faiths collaborating for religious inclusivity and promoting a world where religious practices do not limit women's autonomy.
What have we missed? What have we (or Chat GPT) got wrong? What would you fight for?