Lydia H. wrote a sadly realistic piece of poetry titled “What is a Woman?” I didn't know what I expected from that question. It could have been anything: misogyny, feminism, the typical view of women’s roles in society. It addressed all of them in fifteen brief, powerful lines and makes us think. What really is a woman?

“She is a saint, she is a witch, she is a lily in shallow water, a rose,” Lydia explains. “She is everything but herself.” Society has painted beautiful, horrible pictures of women in the past. They still do today. I see every photo, every gorgeous body and attractive face showcased on billboards, social media, and the covers of magazines.

I've acted as if I don't care about my public image and how I'm not living up to those standards, and it is just that - an act. Women are pressured to step into the roles that are defined as theirs, rather than being who they are. We are forced to find shelter under the skin of someone else because we are not free to be ourselves