I think it starts when we are very young, maybe only 6 years old. You start noticed what other girls are wearing, and clothes and fashion seem to be the strongest arguement for making fun of someone. How many times haven't we heard women (young or older) talk about what other women are wearing. It's very rare that what is being said is something nice and positive. It's important to dress the right way. You don't want to come first day of school or first day at your new job, wearing the "wrong" outfit. If you do, the risk of being doomed for the rest of the year is very big. I believe that most women grow up feeling insecure and self confident. It could be anything from your height to the color of your hair. You just don't want to be different. Why don't we want to be different, why isn't fun to be the only one with red hair when everybody else are blonds. Why aren't we being looked upon as intresting when we are much taller than everybody else. Originality seem to have lost it's magic. I tell you why, when you are different, we get picked on. We become the target of the oppression against women.
Toni Morrison urges women " not to participate in the oppression of your sisters". What does she mean by this? I believe that she is talking about how women treat other women. Why don't we try to help and care about each other instead of working against one and other. Toni Morrison says in her article " Mothers who abuse thier children are women, and another woman, not an agency, has to be willing to stay their hands. Mothers who set fire to school buses are women, and another woman, not an agency, has to tell them to stay their hands. Women who stop the promotion of other womenin careers are women, and another woman must come to the victim's aid. Social and welfare workers who humiliate their clients may be women, and other women colleagues have to deflect their anger" We have enough of a hard time being women as it is, why make it even harder for us. Especially in the workplace, were we have to compete with men everyday just to be treated equal. Why do we also compete with other women. Don't take me wrong, of course we should compete with women as well and always do our best. But only if it's a fair and honest competion. A competion without gossiping about our friends and colleagues to make ourselfes look better.
When I was growing up I had one best friend, a friend that is still my very best friend. We were always together. There were other girls that we knew as well but we chosed to play without them. We thought it was more fun playing with all the boys. I also think that we were comtfortable just us. Without other girls around us, there were no gossiping. I remember that the other girls on our block or in our class were jeolous of us and use to talk about us. I have always been more comfortable around boys, it's more straight forward. I think it's easier to hang out without girls, women has a tendacy to compete about everything. Really, women wll compete about anything from, shoes and clothes to the right kind of job, women even compete about who has the best boyfriend.
In conclusion, I think it's okey to talk about other women, but when you do make sure that it's good and positive things that you are saying. When you start talking about women in a negative manner it's about time that you look yourselves in the mirror. Most likely, women who talks bad about other women are women who feel insecure and selfconfident about themselves. It's time that we stop looking at other women as enemies and start treating each other with respect.