The question for many women is: what are women's issues as differentiated from simply human issues?
The answer to this question is both simple and complex. Women's issues are all issues that women have to deal with on a daily basis. What makes them women's issues is that it is women who are experiencing them. In that sense, the focus is not just on one particular experience, but the experience of being a woman (or girl) within this culture.
Because as women we are immersed within our culture, it is difficult to have a perspective of how being female influences our life, our relationships, our success, our financial status and self- motivation and self-esteem. For instance, when a woman is having difficulty with her self- esteem, it feels as if this issue is solely "individual" and idiosyncratic in nature. As a therapist, seeing numerous women with the same difficulties, it becomes obvious that our early programming has set us up for certain types of difficulties. Many of these difficulties stem from our status as women both now and in our growing up years.
Only 70 years ago women were fighting for the right to vote and be considered as equal people. This history and memory of oppression and inequality is still within our psyche. Many women felt they were not valued as much as their brothers in their families of origin. Some women felt they were not encouraged to achieve, but instead, to prepare for "female" professions, "just in case...." To this day women of the world only own 2% of the land of the world, and yet do much of the world's work. 1 out of every 3 women is thought to have been molested by the time she reaches adulthood.
The "shadow" of this reality manifests in women as low self-esteem, depression, passivity, hopelessness and a lack of motivation. For some women who have achieved, the price has been to close off the feeling self out of fear of being "swamped" by it--this cuts women off then from the feelings necessary to create a vision for their lives that is flexible and human.
As a therapist, working with women, I help women deal with their present issue or problem, working with their inner feelings and reality, and also keeping in perspective the origin of their problem within the society, their family of origin, as well as their present family and work-place. Having this dual approach has helped women in my practice gain much success and insight and has helped them move toward the vision of their own creating.
There truly are no limits for women! Allow yourself to be empowered!
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