Seen AND Heard

  One thing that really bothers me about today's world is the outdated stigma around women standing up for themselves. A problem I have commonly encountered in my personal life, as well as seen in a variety of other situations involving other people on levels both personal and public, is a harsh reaction to a woman "fighting back" (raising her voice or speaking argumentatively) against a man .  One may find this on a large-scale or small-scale dynamic.  In my own life, in high school I often encountered this problem.  If I disagree with a man, I'll speak my mind. If I feel insulted, I will say what's bothering me without mincing words. It really irritates me when a male insults a female and she just giggles it off because she doesn't want to look like a "bitch." I also hate that when I stand up for myself, in certain situations I risk being called a "bitch." Why is it that in many cases a man who speaks his mind is viewed as strong, but a woman who speaks her mind is somehow undesirable or crossing a line? Of course, this doesn't happen in every situation. There are men who respect women and take them seriously when there is some sort of conflict or opposition.  However, I find it is far too frequently that this is not the case. From this class, I want to learn how to counteract this stigma- because women are meant to be heard, not just seen.