Women aren’t just the bearers for newborns. They are pure, kindhearted souls that provide nurture, comfort, and love. They are strong and endearing. And they are willing to make sacrifices for the things and the people they love. This month, women should be given their flowers and be commended for all that they do. All their hard work and commitment should be championed as well as their resilience and wittiness.
Women contribute a lot to society, and they don’t get enough praise and recognition for their accomplishments and achievements. They’ve defied all odds set against them and surpassed the expectations they’ve set for themselves. Women have proven they can do anything a man can and, if not, even better. They are in a constant fight for their respect and self worth. Constantly worrying about their outward appearance and how others perceive them, women aren’t immune to any judgement or prejudice.
Black women specifically have to worry about being light enough to be deemed attractive. In the words of Malcom X, “The Black woman is the most hated woman.” They struggle with finding makeup that’s their shade, tights that blend well with their skin, and clothes that make them look good but not easily sexualized. Other than makeup and clothing, skin care products like facial cleansers, toners, and acne spot treatments must be able to attack dark spots, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, and other skin conditions Black women commonly face.
When it comes to using hair products, most are made by white hands for white people so finding products with the proper ingredients to cleanse and moisturize their hair is a difficult task. It’s important that Black women invest in hair products that cater to their hair type because it’s so unique. Taking in consideration the different types, styles, and patterns, it might take trial and error to figure out what products work and what don’t.
As a Black woman, I’ve struggled with these issues and more, including racism, colorism, and gender discrimination. I’m a lighter tone so the racism isn’t as prevalent, it’s more of identity discrimination. I would get asked questions like, “What are you?” I would even be called an Oreo (as a reference to me being white on the inside and Black on the outside) or yellow by my own racial group.
Gender discrimination is common with all women though. We get mistaken for weak and fragile and dumb and just good for looks and care. In reality, women are strong-minded, intelligent creatures that do a lot for others and not enough for ourselves. So it’s important that during Women’s History Month, the accomplishments of women are recognized and celebrated — because it’s likely that they won’t commend themselves for a job well done.
written by Regan Murray
BTB University Student
March 2025