When you hear the phrase “independent woman,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the song released by Destiny’s Child in 2000? Is it the nurture a mother gives her family when she is alone? Is it a girl raising her hand when the DJ shouts, “Where my single ladies at who got their own car and pay their own bills?”
Could it be a combination of all three?
The phrase has picked up steam in the past few years. African-Americans have been the most exposed to this as reality and talk shows have broadcast a controversial side of the race. And while the phrase has become more of a topic nowadays, I can’t say that the independent woman still exists.
Hear me out. I say this because I do not believe this generation can define what an independent woman truly is.
When I envision an independent woman, I see one who not only nurtures on her own, but someone who can fulfill her own happiness without the presence of a man. Now this can change because plenty of married women can be independent if they are able to do the decision-making in the man’s absence.
But ask someone else what an independent woman is, and they may give you a completely different answer. That’s the issue.
Should we even be throwing around the phrase “independent woman” when there are so many different viewpoints on it? Some use it after a host of life experiences. Some begin to use it after a bad sexual relationship.
When society can come together and truly define what an independent woman is, that’s when I believe they will become more noticeable. If I had to count how many I know, I wouldn’t get very far.
I’m not here to stir controversy. I simply believe that before we accept what someone else or lyrics tell us about an independent woman we should figure out our own definition.