I Know Who We Are

EMPOWER Malaysia organised a writing competition to encourage the wider public to "Break the Silence", for themselves & others. This is one of the top entries, written by Lia Francis.

To all my women,

I write this open letter to you today because I know who we are: We have been broken and we have been bruised.

We’ve seen unimaginable hardship and carried immeasurable wounds.

We’ve fought countless wars and faced constant heartbreak – some private and others public.

We’ve had to fight for others as we fight for ourselves.

We’ve made sacrifices for the greater good time and time again. We’ve been battle-worn and battle-weary.

We’ve been silenced and we’ve been shut out.

But, I still know who we are.

We are stronger than that.

You see, we are stronger because it’s in our blood.

From the very first steps we take to our very first period, the world has taught us we were never enough.

They have taken from us,

Bruised and battered us;

They have hurt us,

And expected us to lift every burden;

They have killed us,

Hurt and humiliated us,

Maimed and shuttered us,

And tried to shut us up;

And, yet,

Here we are!

We spin gold out of hay;

We make honey from the flowers.

The world cannot be without you and me,

For we are the backbone of this society.

We are the mothers who give birth;

The daughters who go out into the world;

The workforce that makes up the economy;

The sisters of our sisters;

The wives to our husbands;

The power behind the throne;

The reason for life itself.

And, yet, in so many instances, we find ourselves being taken from. In so many instances, we wake up only to find ourselves Competing with each other

Instead of loving one another;

Feeling like something in us,

Something intrinsic and inherited,

Is somehow not good enough for our worlds;

Caring too much,

Until we get bruised;

Loving too hard,

Until we are used.

Sometimes, hurt,

After being put through the wringer of the harsh masculine world we live in, Which makes no room for our soft glorious femininity.

Sometimes, defeated,

Usually because of a man who just “did not know any better.”

Would he have known better if the world was for a woman, do you think? Or must we always relegate ourselves to the foreground?

Only willing, and wishing,

And secretly hoping, and wanting,

For things to turn out different this time?

For a woman to be understood, instead of being put aside, this time?

For a woman to be listened to, seen, heard, instead of being disbelieved, this time?

For a woman to be the reason why things have changed, this time? Will they ever learn to give her credit?

Or listen to her hard-won tale?

Will they ever learn to honour her?

And put some respect on her name?

Will they ever stop taking of her?

Or hurting her?

Especially when they know she is just trying to play the same game?

There are many that still work to discredit a woman.

Many more who will never seek to understand what it’s like to be one.

Much more who will try to break her down, even when she has done nothing to earn it.

But, for what they don’t try to know, and all that they try to break, I know what we are.

And, I know what we can be:

We are strong.

But, we are also soft.

We are capable,

And we are able.

We have been through many a sleepless night,

And, yet, we still make it to work on time.

We have cried into our pillows at night,

And, tomorrow, we make it out alive.

We have been put down,

And, still, we find a way to prove them wrong.

We have been judged,

And we have been brave enough to bear that cross.

We have had enough,

And, still, we carry on.

We are the bringers of light,

The bearers of good news,

The tidings of hope.

We are the movers, and the shakers,

The innovators, and inventors.

We are the reason for life,

And we make a very good point for living!

No matter what may come next,

We are ready.

And, we are the reason why…

…So, the next time you forget who you are, and all you can be, I hope you remember that you are a woman,

And we truly are everything.

Sincerely,

A Woman.