What Makes a Woman?

Jennifer Lopez

Professor Shawn Grant

Law 4609

October 7, 2015

Definition of a Woman

A century ago it was considered a misfortune to be born a woman. Being a woman meant marrying young, being a stay at home mom, not owning property, and not having a career. It was the struggle of a female-born to change the roles that defined a woman at this time. Societies interpretation of woman varies over time, but the base definition is apparent in many dictionaries, which define “woman” simply as “the female human being.” The biological sex term female, labels the human anatomy to categorize its nature given capabilities, like in the reproductive process. Society created gender terms, not only to distinguish male from female, but to further interpret roles and duties implied by each genders biological capacities. Some people argue that a woman should not be defined by biological sex because it excludes transgendered people. Others argue that man and woman brains differ and that why a man may feel he really identifies as a woman. But many women argue that the real definition of a woman is based on the experiences they are subjected to. Even though the definition of woman has evolved from an array of meanings, the societal definition was always directed to humans with a female anatomy. A woman should be defined solely in terms of biology, because society can always change the meaning of a woman, but it is still impossible to fully change a person’s birth anatomy.

Gender terms are a social construct. The base definition of gender is associated to biological sex, but some people argue that even biological sex is a social construct. An opinion by Mey on the Autostraddle news website, is titled "It's Time For People to Stop Using the Social Construct of "Biological Sex" to Defend Their Transmisogyny.” She believes that biological sex is a social construct and asserts that society places too much importance on it only to maintain “an excuse to misgender and exclude trans people, and specifically trans women.” She speaks like many other transgender people who feel excluded from a gender because their biological sex term does not match it. Transgender people are looking to redefine the woman gender and to make the term include male-born who feel they identify with a woman. The mere creation of biological sex terms may seem derived by the need of society to categorize humans, but the terms really do distinguish human capacities that we have no control of. A woman’s ability to get pregnant is a biological fact, but a woman’s responsibility of the new born is implied by society. A transgender person who identifies as a “woman” is really only identifying with societies perception of a woman. Biological sex excludes trans people because it separates those who chose to identify with the society driven perception of a woman and those who did not really have a choice. Society can always change its interpretation of a woman, but society cannot change biological facts. It is appropriate that a woman should be defined only by biological sex, otherwise society’s interpretation will always be changing.

What gives a man the choice to change his gender? Elinor Burkett explains in her article “What Makes a Woman?” that transsexual people like Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, typically claim that their brain is more female than male. Caitlyn’s public transition was all about his outer appearance and public acceptance as woman. Apparently Caitlyn’s “female brain” made him change everything about himself to finally feel and look like a woman. He seems to identify with the current social definition of woman, because he suddenly admits he looks forward to wearing nail polish. No one can deny him his desire to look a certain way, but Burkett makes a simple point to his supporters by reminding all that “nail polish does not a woman make.” Long ago being a woman meant not being capable of college education, but that meaning changed, now being a woman carries certain appearance expectations. The differences in male and female brains are shaped by experiences. Burkett quotes Gina Rippon, a neuroscientist at Britain’s Aston University, who says “you can’t pick up a brain and say ‘that’s a girl’s brain.’” Women brains are fed by knowledge society picks and it’s the notions that guide woman on what to do and how to behave. A transgender person who says they have a female brain is endorsing notions that encourage different treatment between men and women. Male born people like Caitlyn Jenner should not be allowed to define what a woman is, female born are only different because society shaped them to be.