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Herstories: Desire for Strength
Being a woman with physical and mental "strength" has been my goal. Woman with strength is a symbol of liberation of women in a society. I desire to be strong to resist oppression or male dominance over women. Moreover, becoming tougher is the process of adapting myself to Canadian society, where women have more say, take on responsibilities and hold greater power compared to Japan.
Gender has had a great influence on forming my identity. Consciously or unconsciously, I have been denying my feminity since my childhood while trying to fit into the mode of Japanese society. Traditionally, Japanese embrace women's feminity, expecting them to be delicate, graceful, and submissive and to be protected by men. Therefore, physically and mentally women should not be too strong. What disappointed me most is the belief that women do not have to be educated as long as they know how to manage a household. Women's roles and identities are to be wife, mother, and daughter-in-law who take care of husband, husband's parents, and children. The society does not expect women to play important roles in corporate, social, and political activities. On the other hand, men are the centre of the world and own greater freedom.
My immigrating to Canada was an escape from the tradition and a refusal to follow these social values of Japan. I came to Canada to seek more opportunities for growth and development. Although I have not personally faced challenges or disadvantages because of my gender yet, even in Canada, women are still struggling, especially in employment and politics to hold higher positions. I was amazed to see how confident and assertive Canadian women are. They are not hesitant to have a say and they make themselves heard. This has been the biggest culture shock that I experienced in Canada. These women became my role models. They encourage and inspire me to gain strength and advance myself as I continue to build my life in Canada
Yumi
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