(hu)man-kind

I always wondered about the term “man-kind.” Why? Why not “woman-kind,” or “human-kind?” History has been written and/or told through a males gaze only for far too long. History has made it so that the majority of people refer to humans or “man-kind” as “man,” and to nature or “mother nature” as “she.” In these nicknames, “man-kind” and “mother-nature,” we have already made gender related assumptions. Labels like these result in real long-term consequences. Pairing nature and women together deprives women of their non-physical attributes. Nature is often described as vibrant, fascinating or mysteriously attractive. Saying “she is nature" is the same as only acknowledging a woman for her physical qualities. Because this has been a norm for so long (connecting women to nature, and not men), women in history have been dehumanized and even regarded as animals. Like animals, women have been treated like pets because of their alleged association with nature. Women of color, specifically, suffered and still suffer from this stereotype.