Three Ways to Write About Women

Women are a topic of interest all around the world, from politics and social justice to pop culture and scientific research. But when it comes to writing about them, writers often struggle to find the right approach. That’s because there are a lot of stereotypes associated with the word “woman,” and some of them are a bit out-dated or just plain wrong.

The most problematic one is that women are weak and inferior to men. This stereotype has been around for a long time and continues to live on through the media, which often portrays women in a negative light. It is often accompanied by other stereotypes that depict women as homemakers, career driven, or just in general “bad” (think strumpet, wench, minx, etc).

This nonsense hurts real women, who do have a hard time living up to the societal expectations of perfection. It also leads to a lot of unnecessary anxiety, as many women feel like they are never good enough or do not measure up to other women.

Fortunately, there are some ways to counter this stereotype. The first is to understand that there are all kinds of women, and that no single stereotype encompasses the entire population of women. The second is to focus on the facts about women and what they actually do, rather than relying on outdated and unfounded prejudices. The third is to take advantage of the recent Supreme Court decision in the UK, which clarifies that when a person is identified as a woman by the law, it is meant biologically.

One way to do this is to consider the definition of a woman that has always been accepted by biology and society: an adult human female. While this may seem obvious, it has become a hotly debated subject recently. In an essay on Medium, linguist Kate McCoy argues that even though intersex individuals are a fact of life and can’t be ignored, it doesn’t nullify the biological definition of a woman. Her argument is that a woman is an adult human whose body is organized around the use of eggs and the gestation of another person.

This definition is simple, and it’s backed up by science. As McCoy points out, even if a person has atypical genetics or sexual anatomy, this doesn’t invalidate their categorization as a woman. The only exception would be if they had an operation that changed their sex organs, but this is not something that typically happens.

This definition also avoids sexist assumptions that only males can understand what it means to be a woman, because it is based on biology, not gender or sex identity. Moreover, it is not just women who have this understanding; even some men agree with this definition. It is important to remember that this kind of clarity is a necessary part of making the world a more equitable place. In the end, it’s not what you have on your genitals that matters, but how you live your life and what your intentions are.