Kristen Bell thinks women are not equal to men —here’s why

In her “Why Being Girly Is a Good Thing” essay for The White House’s Medium page, Kristen Bell starts off by making a controversial statement: “There are many people in this great world who think women are not equal to men. And, I realize this may be a flammable opinion, but I would have to agree.” While this opinion may seem inflammatory and polarizing even, Bell follows this statement with something we can all get behind. She says that though men and women are different, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t all be treated the same.

To explain her perspective, Kristen emphasizes that women tend to be associated with these words: sensitive, emotional, empathetic, and non-confrontational. When it comes to addressing problems, Bell adds that women are often connected with calmness, flexibility, and a quiet resolve. Yet, in the face of these associations, Kristen poses an important question:

“[W]ho decided these differences were weak?”

In other words, Kristen wants to know why “girly” has a negative connotation? Instead, she prefers to see such a characteristic as being beautiful, powerful, and inspiring.

“[These traits] allow us to be generous in both material and spirit, because we can gauge our needs and the needs of others. Being non-confrontational doesn’t mean we are unable to address conflict. It simply means we approach resolution in a different manner,” asserts Kristen, adding that women’s calmness, a quiet resolve, and flexibility “leads to outward thinking and compromise. We are also intuitive, nurturing and have been praised for harboring a ‘female intuition’. Well, my intuition is telling me that if we encourage women to embrace these very things that make us unique, there are truly no boundaries.”

However, Kristen made sure to state that not every women will identify with the traits she’s speaking of – because the female experience is different for each and every individual. “I wouldn’t dare belittle the species to that level of homogeneity,” Bell clarifies. “I am, however, saying that every woman brings something to the table that only she can.” In working toward equality, Kristen hopes that every women will work to see our supposed “inequalities” as superpowers.

Kristen concludes, “As we approach a very exciting time in history, I am hopeful that the future holds wider thinking, power through inclusion and a generosity of spirit. You know, all things girly.“