What is a woman?

“Woman” is a gender identity that can mean different things to different people. Much of the world sees “woman” in the context of the gender binary, meaning that it’s assumed to be the opposite or counterpart of “man.”* Gender is nebulous, and constructed socially, meaning that we as groups of people create rules around what we deem appropriate for each gender. Many people assume that “woman” is synonymous with “female,” but we are going to consider sex and gender as different things -- sex is something assigned at birth based on what genitalia a doctor sees. Gender, on the other hand, is both deeply personal (how we see ourselves and understand our gender identity) and linked to how we experience the world around us (gender expression, how others perceive us, and potential gaps between how we see ourselves and how others see us). One of the best statements I’ve come across that describes the personal/public complexity of gender is from a June 2021 UN General Assembly Special Report (A/HRC/47/27, 16): “gender identity and sexual orientation are aspects inherent in individuals which are part of their innermost selves, but which should be able to be fully externalized, and be recognized and respected.” I realize that this response doesn’t give you a firm definition of what we mean when we talk about “woman,” but that’s the point. If you got a group of women together in a room and asked them each to write, draw, or create their definitions of “woman,” I can almost guarantee that no two answers would be the same. I invite you to sit down and try this exercise, too.

*It’s important to note that genders outside of the man/woman binary exist, and have existed for a long time, all around the world.