I grew up in a Hispanic household where the men were valued more because of their gender. Having this engraved in my head at such a young age made me believe it was true. For so long I lived with this false narrative, that is until I started to see women involved in the feminist movement, as role models. Women like Selena Quintianilla denied so many of the traditional roles women are asked to play, from the way she spoke her mind to the clothes she chose to wear. 

Machismo (strong or aggressive masculine pride) and anti-feminist views are embedded into Hispanic communities. This is an undeniable fact, it is seen in our media, politics, and especially in our own households…

You can read Ashley’s full essay here or watch the video.

Interviews

I chose to interview some of the closest women to me because I wanted to have these difficult conversations with them, conversations that would not normally be had. I chose a diverse group of women to interview (age, race, etc.) because the Hispanic community is very diverse.

I asked the women I interviewed how they have been described within their own families because each of these women co not meet “the mold” society tries to push them into. They wrote these descriptive words, or phrases, on a mirror because a lot of people don’t realize how impactful the words they say are. These words reflect back onto women every time they look in the mirror.”

Ashley

Silvia Lagunas
Mother

Worthless, Ugly, Fat, Can’t do anything right

Madison
16-year-old
Sophomore at Loyola Academy

Too Masc, Weight, Looks, Personality, Style, Values

Kelly
17-year-old
Junior at Prosser Career Academy

Stupid, Loud, Ugly, Fat, Too much, Good for only my body, Crazy, Not enough


My name is Ashley and I am a sophomore at George Westinghouse College Prep. I am first generation, with both of my parents coming from Mexico. I believe there must be a global change in how we view women and what role we play in society. I hope that one day we will be able to achieve true equality but until that day I will be joining the millions of women who are fighting for equal rights.

Connect and Follow Us

Twitter: @4womensequality and @eracoalition

Instagram: @fundforwomensequality and @eracoalition

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fundforwomensequality

 Resources:

Video on the ERAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-s61h1FH2E&t=1s

History of the ERA: https://www.eracoalition.org/the-amendment 

We are the Fund for Women’s Equality: https://youtu.be/8ogt45BN_SY 


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