There are certain people in history who will always be talked about because, well, they kicked butt.
The teenager whose military strategy and leadership ended the Hundred Years’ War between France and Britain in the 15th century, is one of them.
Of all the famous people I studied in school, this young woman was my first mentor-love and inspiration.
Joan of Arc represented the feminist voice at a time when I hadn’t yet realized that women’s rights were an issue, or that in becoming a woman I would soon face them.
When I was 10 and at elementary, we had to choose one person in history we wanted to study, dress up like and then present ourselves as. Of course, being a bit of a revolutionist, I chose Joan. She was a woman who didn’t ever let gender parameters limit her and, frankly, I liked that she was a bad*ss warrior.
I read about this French peasant who rose to sainthood in a picture book in the library, and she became stuck in that deep niche in my heart, the one that is nestled beside inspiration and right next to pride.
It didn’t bother me that much of her life was a battle, that she was persecuted for her beliefs and that at only 19 she burned at the stake—I never shied away from struggle.
What mattered to me was that she represented a woman who was on a clear mission. She knew purpose and fought for it in the face of opposition.
I can only imagine what kind of opposition she met—those were the years of the witch-hunt, where women, and certain men, were put to death for simply offering their wisdom to the world. This travesty spanned three centuries and saw between 40,000 to 60,000 “witches” executed.
Joan did not let fear of this persecution stop her. At 17, she was guided by visions of three saints. They instructed her she was to be savior of France in their emancipation from English rule.
After an 11-day trek through enemy lands, she confronted a soon-to-be French king and convinced him that she was the one woman to lead his troops to victory.
For this journey, and many to follow, she cropped her hair, dressed in war regalia and rode as comrade and leader to legions of male soldiers. This was my first encounter with a woman in history who challenged traditional roles—and the best part is, she accomplished what she said she would do, and won that king his throne and war.
This was more than enough to move Joan into idol-hood in my 10-year-old girl eyes.
As her feast day on May 30th reminds me, we need to look back further than what many consider to be the “first feminists” of the 18th century. We need to honour all women who trail-blazed for us, and the fact there have always been strong females leading the way.
I consider Joan of Arc my earliest feminist inspiration, as feminism in my eyes is about achieving equal status for all. It is not about belittling the masculine; it is about proving that as humans we are all of the same value. It is a belief that everyone should be able to claim power and wield it in their world for a greater good.
She did this, and she did it in “a man’s world,” one in which individuals had to do certain things because of their given genitalia.
While she is sometimes described as a martyr, I will never see this woman in that way. She was a revolutionist.
Unfortunately, seven centuries later, the truth is that we still live in a patriarchal-based society, especially outside of North America. As modern day feminists, we must recognize, with frequent celebration, female strength and power when we see it, so we can continue to rebalance the scales.
I am not pro woman, nor am I pro man. I am pro equality.
At 10, I didn’t totally get that as someone who identifies as female, sexism would face me in the work place, in my studies and in relationships. I did understand what an inspirational human looked like.
Joan was an emblem of faith in oneself and in our own mission—about trusting the guidance that comes to us, be it visions of saints or simply a whispering wind, because deep down we know our own truth and desire to live it.
She was a woman and a warrior who did not let the constraints of the society she lived in hold her back.
Joan represents the tenacity to endure and to fight battles we are called to face.
To all the bad*ss female warriors out there, let’s celebrate this day, Joan’s feast day, as our own. A day to remember we still have a ways to go in reaching equality, but that we always have had the strength inside of us to get there. Centuries of it.
As a human race, there is a need for us to keep standing up and inspiring one another with our courage no matter which sex we were born or with what gender we choose to identify.
This century could be the one where we achieve equal parts yin and yang.
Joan of Arc, you are a hero.
Author: Sarah Norrad
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