This Friday, August 26th is Women’s Equality Day, the anniversary of the women’s vote and which the liberation movement of the 70’s declared an official holiday to recognize the full human rights of women in every area of life.

Many women who were too young or not yet born before that time take much of how we exist and the choices we have for granted, not realizing the struggles so many before us endured to get this far.   We’ve come a long way here in America, and more recently around the globe, thanks to the dedication and sacrifice of thousands of feminists and human rights activists.  But we’re not there yet.

Although we’ve made legal advances on the books, there is still a lot to be accomplished culturally, which is a more insidious, challenging fight. Ironically, this Friday August 26th there is a movie called Colombiana coming out – the premise and their marketing of it is quite deceiving with its gorgeous star and tagline “Revenge is Beautiful.” It’s the most current and blatant in a series of a trend in films and tv shows written and directed by men glorifying extreme male behavior by casting the protaginist as an attractive woman.

These are not feminine roles although they are cast with women, which gives us a false sense of progress.

This past weekend a celebrity wedding took place with much ado made about it although I’m not sure why.  Famous for being famous, flaunting their extravagance while most are struggling to make ends meet, and treating each other disrespectfully, these alluring beautiful women earn their money by selling a voyeuristic view to their lives and are quick to add fuel to the fantasy fairytale notion of weddings without showing, at least to the world, any true understanding about the real meaning of marriage.

In NYC, lately everywhere you look women are wearing shoes that they can barely walk in; the heels, platforms and wedges keep getting higher and higher. Along with bra-burning this was one of the things women’s libbers protested against.  I do love a good shoe (although I am six feet tall and would look slightly scary in four inch platforms) and am as fond of fashion as the next gal, but not being able to walk is pushing it a bit too far and literally defines the saying being a ‘slave to fashion’.

So yes, women are getting ahead in many ways, but when you put them in shoes that are meant for a different kind of street walking, they can barely move.

Men are not the enemy and women are certainly not perfect. But we have to be careful when we see women being used as masks to the negative ways men operate or exaggerated versions of the way men would like us to be and think we have advanced.  And there are more women in leaderships positions than ever, but it doesn’t mean anything if they are just behaving with a male agenda and perspective.  We need a balanced, positive dose of the best of both worlds.

Know you should be liberated but not quite feelin’ free?  Whether male or female, give me a buzz and I’ll show you where you may be getting duped or taken advantage of by “the man” and how you can make the most of your masculine and feminine sides by asserting yourself with grace and compassion.