Sisterhood

By Carolina Bonino @Almost_a_diary

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2018 brough the official addition of this term to the Royal Academy of Spanish Language, one of the most claimed word by the women movements. Under the definition “group that borns from friendship and reciprocity between women who share the same values and they fight to achieve the same objective” in spanish, sisterhood has its own place in the Academy. Sisterhood was used for the very first time by Kate Millet during the 70’, a reference from the second femenism wave and the authoress of Sexual Politics.

However, the sword sisterhood was used a long time before by Miguel de Unamuno. Fifty years ago before this word was claimed by feminism, Unamuno was amazed about the use of “brotherhood” and the gap of existence of the word “sisterhood”.

In this way, the famous writer was the first person who defended this word to exist and to fulfill the lexic need of “sister’s love”.

Every single definition matches with the idea of collectivity, solidarity between women, empathy and approaching between them. We clearly see this message during the feminist demostrations with the slogan “If you touch one of us, you’re touching  everyone of us”, “I believe you” “I do too”…

Behaving as a sisterhood is to know that we are sharing common oppression elements with any other women and this is redefined as an idea of rebelliousness. Rebelliousness against the competences between women.

Have you ever heard or even said: “she prefers to work with men”, “the worst enemy of women is another woman” “the most misogynistic being in the world is a woman”… Clichés, popular sayings which support patriarchal myths that teach us NOT to celebrate the victory of other GIRLS, their achievements, their sexual life, their intelligence, their beauty or any other attribute….

Sisterhood is an alliance which changes everything, our own tools to make the gap between genders shorter.

And here it’s where the nets play an important position. Updated collectives of men and women and adapted to the actual social context of the famous “Me Too” to the diversity of bodies, the election of our own apparience out of the normative rules of waxing or not (which is not a simple fact), selfies, body positivity or any statement of self-assertion… are taking protagonism fighting against all these cultural and social inflictions. I mean: I think we are living important times when watching a selfie on instagram made by a woman our thoughts shall not be critical or judgemental trying to explain the fact with some psychological lack or the need of validation. We must learn from our surroundings.

Recent sociological studies reveal that under a  narcissistic criticism it is hidden a feeling of jealousy for the others qualities. We all need validation (in a healthy way, we must remember we are social beings and it’s natural to feel attracted by community acceptance). But it has borne the self-love era. The simple pleasure of uploading a photo on our social networks because you simply love yourself, you feel like you want to show yourself… It shows more than a need of being accepted, there’s only a natural, logical, revolting and realising sensation of self-assurance which kicks out the need of being part of stupid canons, to fit in the irreal shape, to compete between each others.

It’s time to be happy for other women’s photos. To comment on them, if you want so. To empower yourself too. Many of them will do it too. Many others will eventually do the same. Some of them won’t do it. Those who are in the top may give their hands to support those in the lowest positions. That girl next to you, don’t you dare to leave her behind.

And this doesn’t mean we all have to be friends. It means we respect each other. It means we don’t believe in misogynistic saids who assure us, women, will destroy ourselves. It’s now or never. The feeling of victory is declared with the femenine union, as a solution for a structural change. 

Throughout history, women have achieved big things from individuality. Try to imagine what we could achieve from sisterhood: If we could do it alone, TOGETHER WE ARE UNBEATABLE.