Why do you enjoy being a woman?

The only way in which I feel attached to being a woman in a positive way is the fact that I grew a human being. I don't think I will ever get over how incredible that is.

Since I don't know any different I can't really say. I can list all the things I don't like about being a woman: periods, misogyny, morning sickness etc. but I can't think of anything that is wonderfully and exclusively female apart from pregnancy and breast feeding, which I found very stressful and taxing, and wouldn't want to reduce myself to that. I am me and that is good. I like being me. I am a resilient, short, sexy, a nurturing parent, funny, anxious, intelligent, hard working, occasionally grumpy, socially awkward, imaginative, introverted person. None of that is down to me being female.

I frequently say to myself I'm coming back in the next life as a man because it just looks so much easier.

So I'm pretty ambivalent towards it I suppose.

I don't exactly dislike being a woman but resent things like periods and having to be the one who's body is destroyed carrying babies etc.

I'm not best pleased about the massive difference in effort required for me to look 'presentable' compared to a man.

The evening before a night out with dp is filled with him sipping tea waiting for me to finish faffing with hair and makeup and trying on eleventy billion different outfits trying to find one that's appropriate and grumbling about it profusely.

Then he swans off for a ten minute shower, two minutes to tidy his beard and puts on a shirt and pants.

It's not fair! stamps foot

I quite like feeling pretty and wearing sparkly things, though I don't think it should be something only women can do (ds for example absolutely loves my sparkly hat with flowers on it. It suits him too.)

Motherhood
Having my hair and nails done

Hmm interesting question,I'm sitting here wondering why I like being a woman....my favourite answer on here,is definitely the multiple orgasms one. Also I have 2 sons(product of multiple orgasms!),that I can't believe I produced(yes had a bit of help!),but these handsome,clever,funny 2 young men....I gave birth to,and single handidly raised. Then there's my boobs,I'm very grateful also for these wonderful creations :)

Ok. Mostly, I feel fairly neutral about being a woman. I like being a mum, but actually think I would have preferred being a dad. Can't say I enjoyed pregnancy or childbirth and as for feckin menstruation...

DH was a SAHP for a bit, and I loved being the one coming home to a DS who was sooo excited to see Mummmmy!! I didn't much enjoy being a SAHP when I did it myself.

I am glad that being female means that noone appears to expect me to be able to do DIY. I'm crap at it. So is DH, but some people (e.g., my parents) expect him to be able to sort it out if a tap's leaking or something.

Also, what a couple of PPs said about not being found threatening as a woman, that's a good thing.

Reading the thread the overwhelming positive thing seems to be babies.

This is really really interesting.

Could it be because this is really the only area in life where in the UK we are:
significantly different from male experience
and
it's not neutral or (usually) negative
?

Or
Is childbirth really a massive deal and miracle of nature and all of that and while feminist movements have sought in the past (necessarily) to say, we can do just what the men can do and we won't let this "slow us down" - it's time to bring back round and say well hold on look this is a pretty big deal, and now that we've shown we can do all the jobs etc, we'd like to start bringing the importance of this back to the fore...?

Or a little from the first and a little from the second?

Because of course motherhood doesn't make or define woman, yet reading this thread, you'd think that it did (mostly).

Also reading thread

I am not v maternal either but the bit I did do quite easily was BF, did both of them for 13 months, I think that is my "mummying" pinnacle, other than that I'm not very good at being maternal although I think I'm an OK mum in my own way DH is much more traditionally maternal than me so between us we have it covered!

So BF yes was a time I felt womany.

Also agree that being a man would mean NO BRA which actually is nearly enough to swing it for me, all by itself.

I don't particularly enjoy it but I wouldn't say I dislike it either. Some things are pretty shit though: Periods, harassment, hormonal contraception, pressure to look or act a certain way along with all the other shit that comes with being a woman makes me feel very 'meh' about the whole thing.

On the other hand my body grew and gave birth to two babies which is pretty amazing from my point of view.

I can't change my biology and I don't believe in gender so I make the most of what I've been given whilst trying to make the future better for other women.

Lot of people upthread were saying don't feel sorry for men not being able to have babies as none of them would want to

I don't feel sorry for them

But I disagree that none of them would want to

The wanting babies meaning you must be female is something I have read a fair amount of TIMs say. They of the intent upholding of strict gender roles.

I don't get what you're saying snibble.

Is it, "some men would like to give birth to babies too, so wanting them doesn't make you a woman"?

Has anyone said that it does?

Being pregnant/giving birth/ breastfeeding.

Must be a WOMAN

Sorry

I'm feeling a bit genderfluid today and it's confusing matters.

The Sisterhood and fabulous feminists.

Just dipping in and out -

My DH would be pregnant and have a baby if he could.

I think there are men who feel this way (non TIMs I mean).

The idea that if you'd like to grow and birth a baby then you must be a man is sexist against both men and women - some women don't and some men do. The difference of course is that men can't, and most of them accept that as a basic unalterable fact of life.

I think that my personality would be my personality had I been born male

Interesting. I think our personalities are shaped by many factors but a major factor is how others respond to/treat us and I don't think that could ever be the same if I had grown up male. If i suddenly became a man now, that would be different as I'm older and personality is more fixed.

I just umm... am a woman. I don't really think about it.

I could list things I like about other women, or thinks I don't like about being a woman, but when it comes to things I like it just... is.

I don't dislike it, it's just.... meh. Nothing.

I'm just me.

This is an interesting read

I've been trying to think if there are things I specifically enjoy about being a woman and I don't think there are. The only times I've felt 'aware' of being a woman are when I have had negative experiences such as harassment, violence and rape. I didn't enjoy being pregnant, or giving birth, nor am I maternal, so the motherhood part doesn't resonate with me at all. I just am a woman and I think that my personality would be my personality had I been born male.

If your version of feminism is all about clothes, and men fancying you and being chivalrous, then yeah, quite a few people will be

From other posts it seems that poster doesn't want to associate with feminists and thinks feminists should be more supportive of mens' issues anyway, so I think it was a lost hope even if people did say it sounded like it was written by a man pretending to be a woman.

One poster has contributed these as her reasons for liking being a woman- and been called a man. That is definitely going to put some people off who feel the same.

But of course- don't accept responsibility! Call them stupid and say they had no hope anyway

Oh yeah sorry for doing feminism wrong

Seriously MN- can you see the damage you are doing? Soon women will think they can't possibly be a feminist because they like pretty clothes or have the occasional weepy moment

If people read the feminist pages on MN and take away the fact that feminists think you can't like nice clothes and cry then I'm not sure there's much hope for them anyway!

Endometriosis, for sure