Womens' Issues: Health, Relationships,and Career Roles
There are a lot of websites, books, television shows...you name it...there's all kinds of information out there to bombard women and how to live life. You should be thin, you should be proud of how you look no matter what; you should eat better, eat here because it's cheaper; you should stay at home, you should work, you should be a mom and work, you should get married, you should not get married, you should get an education, you should be the woman who does it all, you don't have to be the woman who does it all....What message is being sent? CONFUSION!
Working in mental health, and particularly with women, roles for women are a huge factor in my counseling focus presently. Women CAN have it all, without having a man. They can adopt, have children by artificial insemination, have a career, and basically have their own lives without the need for a man. Men's roles are changing too because of this. What used to be our mothers', grandmothers', and women before them, expectations were to be stay at home mother's while the husband was the bread-winner. Times have definitely change as we move further into the 21st century. However, commercials and ads targeted to women push for them to be thin, look younger, have a career, have children/don't have children, get married/don't get married. There is no right or wrong answer to any of these. Each woman has a right to decide what she wants to do with her life.
A great womens' website resource is: www.itsallaboutwomen.com
There is information on health- for body and mind, career and financial advice, and relational ideas/suggestions. It's important that as a woman you utilize the support system you have surrounding you. If you feel you need extra support trying to juggle all the things you have going on in your life, seek out a counselor or a therapist. Having a safe-place to explore these issues with someone who understands womens' issues can be very liberating and get you started on a new path to life. And remember, you are who you are, and be proud of that.