Having grown up a girl, I was told that being female meant being “less than,â€? never as strong, smart, or successful. It might not be constant, or even be obvious, but it’s almost guaranteed that most girls will have to deal with this at some point.

Having grown up a girl, I’m here to tell you that we’re living in a world where gender boundaries do not have to define our lives anymore. For the past century, women have fought to be defined not by their reproductive roles, but as individuals with free will.

Not all women want to get married and have kids, especially at a young age. Not all women like shopping. In fact, many girls hate shopping. Not all women write romance, as there is nothing inherently female about romance.

Women can play sports, drive fast cars, and win at life.

They can choose who they want to be.

As a woman, I can honestly say I’m happy with who I am and have no desire to be a man. But if I was, I’d hope to be much the same as I am now: an individual, and not a stereotype.