Monday Morning Motivation – Labels against women

Continuing with my feminist inspiration on a Monday morning, I thought I’d share this Filipino commercial (Labels against women) for Pantene shampoo. It shows some of the dichotomies that women face. We’re encouraged to be more ‘masculine’ to succeed in a man’s world but then are berated for that behaviour.

Common labels that we hear

A man who states his opinions firmly and strongly is labelled a ‘boss’ whereas a woman is simply ‘bossy’. Here are some more examples of this paradigm:

• Persuasive -> pushy
• Dedicated -> selfish
• Neat -> vain
• Smooth -> show-off

Children hear these messages from a very early age.

The key message

Whatever your feelings on this duality, the key message is applicable to everyone:

Don’t let labels hold you back.

Be strong and shine.