Womanhood is...

By definition, womanhood is "The state of being a woman, the distinguishing charter or qualities of a woman or womankind." Ok, well, WTF does that mean right?

So lets look at the definition of woman: "an adult female person, a woman belonging to a particular category (as birth, residence, membership, or occupation) -> usually used in a combination." The idea or understanding of womanhood, for me, for a long time, wasn't a deep thought; I was born with ovaries and a uterus, I started menstruating, I have female characteristics, I was a woman. I got older, got married, got divorced, got remarried, my friends had children, my younger sister had a child (now she has 4), and I was ALWAYS asked when I was going to have a child or if I was pregnant. I wasn't getting pregnant; long story short (and to be expanded on in another category), I had to have a total hysterectomy, and no more ovaries or uterus... No chance of pregnancy.

My concept of womanhood became less clear, which is odd since I always did and do support LGBTQIA+. If I believe a transgender woman is a woman, then why am I so unsure of my womanhood? Having a uterus or ovaries doesn't make a woman, right? I mean, the definition doesn't have a list of must-haves:

• Uterus

• Ovaries

• Fallopian Tubes

• Cervix

• Breasts (I still have those in abundance)

Where does this lack of clarity stem from- childbearing. Even in Sojourner Truth's Ain't I a Woman speech, she says, "I have borne thirteen children". Well, shit.

Am I (still) a woman?