One of the most common phrases known across the English vernacular is: “It’s a man’s world.” Coined by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1915 in her work Our Androcentric Culture, in which she writes: “Women are only women. This is a man’s world. To get in on it you must do it man-fashion…[N]o wonder education was denied to women. No wonder their influence is dreaded by ultra-masculine culture.”
Gilman’s phrase has passed the test of time, with her quote becoming more evident by the day. While this holds true, James Brown, put his own twist on the phrase in 1966, when he released his single, It’s a man’s man’s man’s world. The most important lyrics found in Brown’s single are found in the chorus: “This is a man's world, but it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl.”
And with Brown I must agree, this man’s world would be nothing without a woman or girl. Women traditionally hold roles of home makers and child-bearers, yet women are so, so much more than these traditional roles. In fact, this year has been so woman-led and female-dominated that I would argue that it’s the year of the woman.
Women embracing power, making their mark on male-dominated spheres and taking steps to universal gender equality is a big push in defining what "year of the woman" means to me. Women have made many advancements in the socio-political sphere and they deserve recognition for these achievements and the many others they are pushing for. Fighting against a glass ceiling not only as a woman, but as a non-white woman, I’m faced with many roadblocks that people who do not look like me wouldn’t understand.
The years 1992 and 2018 both hold the title, "Year of the woman" due to the Senate being female-dominated at the time. With this in mind, we're seeing women step more into the light of politics. In 2016, we saw Hillary Clinton a woman, become the first woman nominee of a major political party.
While Clinton may have lost, she’s paved the way for other women in politics to step out of their comfort zone in this man’s world to do something that “women can’t."
As a child, I remember frequently telling my parents I wanted to be president when I grew up and if anything, this election has taught me that little Brychelle is closer to her dream than she thinks.
In fact, as of the 2024 election, this is the first time America has seen two Black women elected to senate at the same time. Kamala Harris, Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester are three women who made history in the 2024 election and three women who have also inspired me. Win or lose, this is a big step for the non-white female community and I want to embrace that.
Even outside of politics, women are becoming more prevalent in more male-dominated spheres.
In the sports world, we have recently seen the Paris Olympics, in which the gendered participation was 50-50 among men and women. This 2024 statistic should be heavily compared to the 1904 Olympics where six women competed, making up 0.9% of competitors.
Female Olympians like Wilma Rudolph, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Florence Griffith Joyner, Mary Joe Fernandez and Billie Jean King have all inspired and paved the way for the women we know — Sunisa Lee, Gabrielle Thomas, Coco Gauff, Sha’Carri Richardson and Hezly Rivera — to represent their country while also pursuing the sport they love.
The equality that we have seen in the Olympics, is something big. An even split in the sports world is something that is never seen due to women’s sports not being as valued as men’s.
Yet, women do so much more in not only in sports, but in so many other aspects just to catch up with their male counterparts.
For instance, women in STEM fields are finally getting the recognition they rightfully deserve. Fighting against pay gaps—while doing the same job—isn’t something that is “equal,” ever. Frankly, it’s not something that anyone should have to fight against.
Women have been making advancements in the workplace consistently, even when faced with things like unequal pay, sexual harassment and blatant sexism. With Title IX being passed in the early ‘70s, women have found more of their voice to repel male voices that undermine them consistently.
In 1976, the NCAA challenged the legality of Title IX, yet the case was dismissed a few months later. However, sports is one of the highest reported spheres that Title IX offenses happen in today.
52 years later, Title IX is still being changed and challenged among different government powers. While this may not be silencing those who have been sexually assaulted or harassed in schools or workplaces, there's still changes being made to what is "offensive" in these spheres.
As of August 2024, there are 26 states that are not accepting these changes which in turn does not offer women further accessibility to report these harmful acts done upon them. These changes have been pending since 2020 and yet none of the constant changes have managed to silence women across America.
Even before this, we've seen sexual assault victims speaking out in major ways, especially against celebrities. For instance, in 2019, the documentary "Surviving R. Kelly," came out in which women spoke out against Kelly and his acts. This was also seen in 2014 when survivors Victoria Valentino, Andrea Constand, Chloe Goins, Judith Huth and Lili Benard brought on a case against Bill Cosby.
These women have fought to have their voices heard within a sea of people saying Cosby and Kelly are innocent. Paving the way for those who don't have a bigger platform make their voices heard in the sea of skeptics and defenders of other sexual deviants.
Through constant persistence, women have made the point to push against every roadblock they’ve been faced with. They’ve pushed against the glass ceiling and it’s truly inspiring, especially in a “man’s world” in which we’re given little to nothing.
These women, and many, many more have helped not only me, but the little girl I used to be, understand that nothing is impossible; and more importantly, “a man’s world,” holds no weight, no matter how they may dominate the socio-political world.
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Brychelle Brooks, junior majoring in public and professional writing with a minor in information systems, has been with The Auburn Plainsman since August 2023. She previously served as the Campus Reporter and Opinion Editor. She is currently serving as the Newsletter Editor.
