
Today celebrates the anniversary of the day the United States adopted the 19th Amendment in 1920, the amendment that allowed Women to vote in elections. While women have come a long, long way since then, it’s important to know our fight towards equality is not over.
Celebrating today is especially important to me because when I was a little girl growing up in rural China, girls were not valued the way boys were valued. I remember one time when my mother had gotten us a little bit of food since we often went without it, she gave more to my brother because he was seen as the more important one between the both of us. Many girls were abandoned by their families because they were not seen as people would would grow into providers for the family. Of course, China is isn’t the only country that has lower expectations of women compared to men. Many countries all over the world hold women to lower standards, and the United States is certainly not an exception.

Women here in the US on average earn only 94 cents for every dollar a man makes. How does that happen? While I’m certain there are a few employers out there who legitimately believe that women are worth less than men, it seems that we are often the ones stopping our own selves from succeeding at the same rate that men succeed. What are we doing differently?
Imagine you are looking for a job. You scroll through the list on the usual website and click on the ones that catch your eye. How likely are you to click on a job that has the title “manager” or “supervisor” or “lead” in it? Do you believe that you are qualified for these kind of upper management positions? It would seem that more often than not, women will say “no… I’m not qualified enough for that” and not even bother applying for the position at all. Men, on the other hand, have the tendency to believe they are much more qualified than they might actually be (the possible root of mansplaining, perhaps?) for any particular job in their field. While women are often conditioned to be more modest about their skillset, men are conditioned to represent strength and perseverance until they get what they want.

Unfortunately, sometimes the expectations of society are out of our hands. The way other people see us or the environment we grew up in are things we cannot control. Luckily for us, our childhood upbringing and the way things have gone “historically” in society are things that can stay in the past if that’s where we want to keep them. I have a little equation for that: E+R=O
What does that mean? Event + Response = Outcome
An event from the past is not a response in itself. The equation is not Event = Outcome. While the event is something we might not have control over, such as a rainstorm or not being allowed to vote or that we constantly heard “man up!” from the people around us as kids, those events do not create an outcome all on their own. The second part of the equation–the part about “Response”–is the part we do have control over within our own lives.
Rainstorm + Angry About Cancelling Plans = Day Ruined
Rainstorm + Finding Another Fun Thing To Do Inside = Super Fun Day
Of those two equations, which one seems better? Probably the second one. Were you able to magically change the weather to make your day better? No, I’m sorry, you’re not a wizard today, friend. You made the outcome positive because of the response you chose. You might say “okay, Grace, but women’s equality isn’t the same as bad weather.” What about this one…
You Can’t Vote + “That’s Always How It’s Been” = No Movement Towards Equality
You Can’t Vote +” Lets See If I Can Find Another Way to Influence Politics While Striving Towards Women’s Suffrage” = A Move Towards Equality
Not being able to vote is certainly bigger than a little rainstorm. It’s not an event you can really look at differently or find much of a positive in. You can, however, take action towards change for the future. Overcoming obstacles rather than letting them drag us down is something we as women can strive for together and in our own lives, so that maybe future generations won’t need to face the same struggles. An equation that was especially difficult for many women to solve is this one: Breast Cancer Diagnosis + ? = ?

How do you make that event into a better experience? You could sit and think “why me? What did I do to deserve this?” but instead, a reaction to this event could be “how lucky am I to live in a time period with modern medicine to help me overcome this?” and “How lucky am I to be surrounded by so many people that love me?” The outcome of these reactions? You could learn that everyday that you are alive is a gift not to be wasted.
So, for National Women’s Equality Day, I have chosen to dress in pink, the color of the breast cancer ribbon, and wear my medal from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk For the Cure I did earlier this month, to remind women that no matter what happened in the past or how people treat us today, our reactions to these events is what determines the outcome of our future within our own lives. As the old saying goes, “other people’s opinions of me are not my business.” Nothing is stopping you from achieving your dreams except for the limitations you place upon yourself.

That being said, there’s no reason to try to become more “manly” to achieve your goals. Part of what makes you special and the right person for the job you want is how you look at the world through the eyes of a woman. You don’t have to act big and tough and be something you aren’t to get on their level. You have your own strengths to rely on to get you up there. Back in the old school yard days, the bullies would tell other boys “you fight like a girl,” because the worst insult to another boy is to be told he is too feminine or girly. Today, we women wear that saying as a badge of honor. Yes, I do fight like a girl. But am I weak? Heck no! Fighting like a girl is a strength, and it can get me to the top just the same as fighting like a boy.

So, ladies, even though we already earned the right to vote, what are some of your own Event + Response = Outcome equations you have in regards to women’s rights and equality? How are you “fighting like a girl” today?
Photo credit: Grace Liang/@v.stoimirov
Thank you for reading! If you like what you read, please comment below, or share it with your friends. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for new updates. For all the amazing fashion/beauty and lifestyle products I share, also follow me on Instagram. Remember to check out my Instagram stories daily to know me better as a person. Finally, don’t forget to follow me on YouTube for my fashion/beauty and lifestyle videos. Have a great day and see you soon!
||Linkup Party||
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!Click here to enter
Grace
colorandgrace.com occasionally receives vendor/brand sponsorships for mentioning their products and services.
42 Comments
Rena
Super cute the pink dress!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Grace Liang
Thank you so much, Rena!
mireille
Good read!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Grace Liang
Thank you for your support, Mireille!
Danielle
I adore your outfit and what you wrote about with women’s rights.
Grace Liang
Thank you so much, Danielle! That is wonderful to hear! 🙂
Biana
As far as we’ve come we still have so much further to go! thank you for sharing this great post!
Grace Liang
I definitely agree with you on that, Biana. Thank you for your support! 🙂
Cheryl Shops
It’s sad that we as women still have to fight for our rights and progress, but we’re strong and will continue to do so!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
Grace Liang
I couldn’t agree more with you, Cheryl. I’m confident we will continue to fight though!
Jane
Love this pink dress! So beautiful!
xo, Jane
http://www.fitfabfunmom.com
Grace Liang
Thank you so much, Jane! It’s one of my favorites!
Jill
We’ve made progress but still have a long way to go. We are all strong and need to continue to fight!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Grace Liang
You are so right, Jill. The fight is not over!
Laura Benjamin
Love the “math lesson” and that gorgeous pink dress! I’ve been teaching that equation too, to people with major mental illnesses, and used it myself. It really does make a difference! I’d like to share this with people as it is beautifully written.
Grace Liang
You are so sweet, Laura! I’m glad you found this post helpful. I appreciate your support so much!
jodie filogomo
You are SO good to change the phrases and thoughts to show how lucky we are for almost anything. There can be a silver lining all the time.
XOXO
Jodie
Grace Liang
Thank you so much, Jodie! There is always a silver lining! 🙂
Simone
Women got to stand up for their rights! Loving your inspiring post.
xx Simone
Little Glittery Box
Grace Liang
Yes! Thank you so much for your support, Simone!
Ashley
Such a beautiful (and moving!) post, lady! We (as a country, a society, a WORLDWIDE community) have so much work to do to level the playing field. But the work is worthy and we CAN DO IT.
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Grace Liang
Thank you for being so kind, Ashley! I completely agree with you – there is a lot of work to do but we are strong and can definitely do it! 🙂
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
I always think of my daughter when I think about how we really need to keep pushing for women rights. You are so pretty in this pink dress with that flower!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Grace Liang
Thank you, Carrie! I often think about our younger generation also while talking about the topic of women’s rights. It’s so important that we keep working on it!
Sophia
Loved that post! Also, it was so interesting and moving to read about your childhood! Fighting like a girl? For sure! 🙂
x Sophia from http://www.hyggefeeling.com
Grace Liang
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this post, Sophia! Thank you for your support! 🙂
melissa williams
GREAT post! It’s always sobering to hear about equality from someone in another country who KNOWS inequality. Thank you for sharing that. And I love that you mentioned the part about not having to give up your femininity……embracing femininity IS powerful! Excellent post and stunning dress and booties.
~Melissaxx
https://freshairandfalselashes.com
Grace Liang
This comment means so much to me, Melissa! Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I’m so glad I was able to speak up about Women’s Equality!
Dara
Great topic! We can do so much more when it comes to equal rights for all!
Grace Liang
You are so right, Dara! Thank you for stopping by!
Kathrine Eldridge
Thanks for shining a light on this important milestone. What’s forgotten is that black women fought with white women for the right the vote but did not get it until much later. I hope remember that part of history too. We all deserve equality. Great post Grace!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Grace Liang
Thank you for bringing that up, Kathrine! That is definitely a important (and unfortunate) fact to remember. I’m glad you enjoyed this post! 🙂
Shauna
Beautifully written and I love the pink on you!
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
Grace Liang
Thank you so much, Shauna! You are so kind!
Julie | This Main Line Life
Love the pink flowers on that dress, so pretty. I was lucky growing up. My Mom had a math degree and was one of the first women programmers at Cape Canaveral. She was involved in sending up some of the first manned space missions so I always grew up with a strong woman role model and grew up thinking I could do anything.
Grace Liang
Thank you so much, Julie! Your mom sounds like such a amazing woman! Definitely a great role model to have while growing up. 🙂
Cathy Kennedy
Grace,
What positive, good energy you possess in your outlook! I love being a woman and I refuse to behave like a man to get ahead. I am a feminine soft creature with special attributes that the Creator gave me and am unashamedly proud of being one of His womanly masterpieces.
In God’s eyes, we are all equal both intellectually gifted but with different physical abilities. I’m glad to know that you are happy to be a woman and see it as an asset that shouldn’t be changed but revered. That’s something I fear being lost with many women.
Today, women are taught to act like a guy to get ahead when its the furthest things from the truth. I’m seeing role reversal in our society and that scares me. I don’t want my granddaughter to grow up behaving and sounding like a boy just to prove that she’s like him. She is not.
The different genders are meant to complement the other, not to exalt oneself while squashing the other. Men do some things better than women as do women do some things better than men. That’s the way we were designed by the Creator. Respect and admiration are needed, not gender reversal for a better future for mankind. 🙂
In closing let me say, pink is my favorite color. I love, love, love it!! Have a blessed and joyful day, my friend! 😉
Grace Liang
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your opinion on this important topic! You have wonderful points. I appreciate your kind words and support very much! I hope you have a great week! 🙂
Tracy
I love this post so much! I actually never heard about Women’s Equality Day until this year! Thank you for sharing and helping to make everyone aware of this important day!
Tracy
https://www.findyourdazzle.com
Grace Liang
Thank you so much for the support, Tracy! I’m glad I could help bring awareness to Women’s Equality Day! 🙂
Ivana Split
Such an inspiring article! I’m all for equality and I think we should never compete with men or try to imitate them but rather work on discovering what makes us happy as women. I think that as women we are sometimes afraid of applying for manager jobs, and there is really no reason why we shouldn’t. Women can be just as good leaders as men. As ladies we should always aspire to find our own way. Often limitations are just in our head. Women living in the western countries have the law on their side, but ironically we are the ones who complain the most about how we don’t have any rights. We aren’t aware of how difficult life is for women who live in repressed societies where women truly have no rights and where they can’t even complain about them. We are truly blessed to have access to education and jobs.
Grace Liang
Very well said, Ivana! I’m so glad you found this post inspiring and shared your feedback. I couldn’t agree with you more on this topic!