I resonate strongly with this! Especially as a young woman who doesn't want long hair. People look at me and sigh when I say I want to go bald, they display pity for "my husband" or talk about how I'm making hair political, but the honest truth is that I cannot handle hair, sure I like a sweet bussdown every now and then but eventually the carrying tires me, the effort to style and maintain, the speed of its aging, how quickly it looks as though I have carried that hairstyle for 5 years annoys me and then above all else, I really just want some air on my scalp. So what if its political, being a woman is political.
When people comment on how I'm behaving "like a man" I find it extremely hilarious because at the end of the day, I don't believe that there is any definition of what a man or a woman should look like or act like, I am a woman because I was born a woman, because I was socialised as a woman, and breaking out of gender roles and heteronormativity has allowed me to express myself, as a woman, with or without hair, without or without earring, with or without dresses. Those are the external things, the metrics this society uses to make sense of gender and difference, those things do not make me a woman.
What an interesting story. Being a Nigerian myself, I know how intrusive our society can be. It’s left for us to stand firm in our beliefs, and you sure did. Short hair is beautiful and sexy. Go girl!
I resonate strongly with this! Especially as a young woman who doesn't want long hair. People look at me and sigh when I say I want to go bald, they display pity for "my husband" or talk about how I'm making hair political, but the honest truth is that I cannot handle hair, sure I like a sweet bussdown every now and then but eventually the carrying tires me, the effort to style and maintain, the speed of its aging, how quickly it looks as though I have carried that hairstyle for 5 years annoys me and then above all else, I really just want some air on my scalp. So what if its political, being a woman is political.
When people comment on how I'm behaving "like a man" I find it extremely hilarious because at the end of the day, I don't believe that there is any definition of what a man or a woman should look like or act like, I am a woman because I was born a woman, because I was socialised as a woman, and breaking out of gender roles and heteronormativity has allowed me to express myself, as a woman, with or without hair, without or without earring, with or without dresses. Those are the external things, the metrics this society uses to make sense of gender and difference, those things do not make me a woman.
Thank you for this piece!❤️
"Being a woman is political" - say that!
I think we're all tired of the metrics. Can't the decisions we make ever be for the sole purpose of "BECAUSE THATS HOW I LIKE IT"?
Thank you for sharing this!
Oh wow.
Thanks so much for sharing this insightful comment.
Our identities shouldn't revolve around what society defines it to be.
I really love everything you've shared here.
What an interesting story. Being a Nigerian myself, I know how intrusive our society can be. It’s left for us to stand firm in our beliefs, and you sure did. Short hair is beautiful and sexy. Go girl!
Totally love this.
Thank you Vicky 💛