I think women can take charge of their lives. It sounds bad, but I honestly feel like my life has been made easier because I am a woman. I feel like sometimes people are easier on me or are less willing to argue with me for that reason. I have been living on my own basically since I was 18, and have always been able to make the same money as my male counterparts. I know I have done better than many men who began their lives in the same places I did, and I am a middle-to-lower-class, Asian female. The thing that has probably held me back the most (as far as I am aware of) has been my socioeconomic status, which I believe is not a result of being a female; I have been lucky enough to live in a time and place where being a woman hasn't held me back significantly.

There are some times when I feel that I may have been singled out for being a woman, but those were for what I consider more trivial things, like getting attention for earning a good grade on a certain math test. Even if I have been discriminated against for being a woman, I have been able to find the strength and support to fight back, as have many women.

Women in recent history have been finding resources and support to "liberate themselves." Each wave of women's movements have brought yet more "-isms" women can find a place in. Even under each group exists subgroups women can relate to; radical feminism, for instance, boasts the Missile Chick Dicks and Radical Cheerleaders, each who make their point across in different ways. Lesbian Feminism was inspired by "the radical feminist idea of putting women first a few steps further."

Certainly there can't be one group to fit everyone, though, as every woman's needs are different based on the various standpoints that exist; being a black woman is different than being a white woman, though not all black women and white women share the same experiences even. However, that doesn't mean that a woman can't alter or begin a group to fit her needs and the needs of other women in similar situations, as Radicalesbians did with radical feminism. Women have been doing it for years, apparently, and probably with even less support and resources!

I am curious what opportunities some feel women have not been able to have today in the United States. I feel like there are so many groups that have been beneficial to me because of my various minority statuses, like scholarships, clubs, and more. And if I was denied a job or whatnot for being a woman and I just don't know it, then it can't be that great anyway. For those who have undergone more than I have, please explain!