To ask what being female means to you?

[Toorahtoorahaye]

Thought mumsnet might be a good place to ask as it’s mostly populated by women. I’ve always thought of being female simply as being the sex that the conceives, carries and gives birth etc. Seen this thread on twitter and the OP seems to be being vastly outnumbered in what i thought was a simple view of what “female” is. So wondered what it means to people here, how you would define “female” mobile.twitter.com/DeborahJaneOrr/status/1109031908162396161

Yeah I'm not feeling it either. Think I may be in an off mood though 😂😂 I do think us women are amazing on a general day to day basis though.

Female is my biological state, being of the class of mammal with the potential to produce eggs and bear young.

It’s not the only thing that defines me, but it’s certainly a pretty important one.

That should probably be reproductive state? One or the other!

Biology. Being of the sex that is victimised for that biology.

A) My biology makes me female

B) My personality makes me a unique individual, influenced by a myriad of different forces

C) Society tries to impose upon me my place within it because ....see A.

My biological state of being in my primary and secondary sexual organs, the DNA of my cells, hormone profile and resulting development which I cannot opt out of regardless of if I want to perform femininity or not and because of which I am treated a particular way by society whether I like it or not.

COME ON LADIES......why are you all focusing on the negatives that come with being female, we should all be strong proud women!!!!

I am proud of many things about myself, but they are things like my creativity, chutzpah, the work I do yada yada yada...none of these things are because I am a woman.

Being strong, being in control of my feelings, emotions, body, being ambitious, not being afraid to say no, and just feeling proud....surely none of these attributes are unique to being female?

Being always aware of the tricks my body might play, periods starting at the most inconvenient moment, avoiding then longing for pregnancy, menopause; mad emotion swings, exhaustion, spots, aches and pains, all down to the presence or absence of hormones. However confident you are always having physical vulnerability at the back of your mind. Being equal at work but knowing that your view is different in a very male environment, feeling on the periphery of the social interaction, wariness of undercurrents of male communication.

Hazeyjane no those attributes are what we now feel as strong women where years ago we were 'not allowed' to feel these

In humans XX chromosomes, in general the one that produces the ovum.

Being overlooked or looked over, and sometimes both at the same time. It's so irritating.

I have a female body. That's what makes me female.

If I had a female body but never had periods or had been unable to have children, I would be just as female.

That's why I don't really understand people who say sometimes they feel male, sometimes female, because what does feeling female feel like? If you are male, how can you know what feeling female is when I as a female for not know, beyond as some of you have said, having to be so much more aware of yourself. Not just the situations you put yourself in, but how you come across as well.

I think if we stopped pushing stereotypes so much and "that's for boys, this is for girls" then people would just feel like people for the most part.

All the more sociological things listed by op above I would pin to being a woman/femininity. I don’t believe that sex directly causes ambition or a preference for pink etc.

I don't know how you know how people used to feel...and if people don't feel those things are they not female?...if they feel just knackered and overwhelmed are they not female?....what does being male mean?

It's all a bit feely!

Periods, babies, smears, different physical assessment when I joined the army, different medical treatment to males based on my anatomy, less Pay, physical awareness in a threatening situation with males,

Being female for me is about my physical body being female, and the specific biological issues that come with that. And the pretty cool ability to grow a new human and give birth to it, and feed it.

Then it's also about all the expectations society puts on me because of being female, and the prejudices and assumptions that also result.

If I decided I was male, I'd still physically feel I was at a disadvantage to a male born male. Because I would be. It's the truth genetically.

I’m not sure if I can explain this well but I’ll try.

To me, being female is an integral part of who I am, it’s a huge part of my identity yet I can’t put my fingers on exactly why.

It has defined so many parts of my life both positively and negatively. I was treated in certain ways because I am female, I had lots of (low) expectations placed upon me because I was female. I rallied against those expectations because I am female. Being female has frustrated me, angered me, made me strong, made me proud all at once.

Biologically it has hindered my life (periods; pregnancy-whether trying not to be or trying to get; breastfeeding and, one day in the future, menopause etc) but it has also enhanced it. The strength of the bond and the fierce love and connection that I had with my children was unbelievable during those moments that only I could experience when carrying them, feeling them kick, bfing them.

Biology made me female and my experiences made me a woman. A man has neither the biology or experiences and that is fact.

Yes being female is just what I am it's my biological reality. I know that you cannot change sex and that you are born male or female.

All over the world females are discriminated against because of their female biology not because of their thoughts or their gender expression.

We are in a very strange time at the moment with a small proportion of privileged mainly middle class people trying to dictate to the rest of society all sorts of pseudoscientific nonsense.

I honestly can't understand how they have managed to distort reality in such a way but I am hoping that ordinary people fight back.

Someone who can't experience all that first hand can't be that.

Aside from genetics.

Anyone who says they are is just experiencing parts of their personality that are typically assigned to a different gender. But their actual sex is what they were born with.

being female means I can have my cake and eat it.
I can have children, but I also do any job I want.
I can be as independent and as successful as any man, but I can start any "ladies only"class or group I please.
I can wear any female or male outfit in the office.
I can be girly and play the female card, but I can also compete in the same sport as men.

Love it. It's very different in other parts of the world, but I love being a woman in this country. I find it hard to teach to my sons how to be proud of what they are, it's easier with my girls.

Strange, because the Woman who started the twitter thread said “female” was the class of human who produces eggs and got her arse handed to her for reducing being female to having babies, having a vagina - so if a woman is infertile or never has a period, or is post menopausal

Sheesh. Teach your kids to be useful and kind, whether they're male or female.

Yessssssssssssssssss @thedisorganisedmum

so if a woman is infertile or never has a period, or is post menopausal - does that mean she isn’t female?

Sorry- fat fingers!