The Female Anatomy – by Zahra Jalalkhan

In the past few weeks, I decided to embark on a survey in which I asked both women and men what comes first to their minds when asked to define the female anatomy. No, I was not looking for a medical definition it was more geared towards understanding this thought process from a lay perspective. The nature of my survey was to somewhat create a distinction between the male and female form, which ideally speaking I ought to have been asking about general human anatomy and not one that was split up between the male and female being. Nevertheless, my aim was to see whether an individual’s mindset changed the moment a gender specific terminology was utilized as opposed to a generalized question model. So, before you start to feel this piece is too technical in nature and just because you hold not the coveted title “Dr” before your name and feel this vibe isn’t for you, let me pull you back in.

As predicted, the majority of men gave sexualized answers that ranged from beautiful, hot, toned alongside several other explicit responses some of which could get me banned from MomBoss were I to pen these down. Like I said this was expected from our rib borrowing counterparts but what surprised me most was that women themselves were no different either!! Whether it was the juxtaposition of the word ‘female’ plus ‘anatomy’ that elicited a rather intimate conceptualization, I honestly can’t get my head around it till now. I must say after this, one of my conclusions was that the mind can truly be a dirty place tsk tsk tsk!

I have no medical background apart from the training provided by my good teacher Dr. House, but for me, I would like to describe the female anatomy in its four rightful forms. These include the nervous system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, and the reproductive system. Takes some of us back to our school science days huh? Well, forgetting the not-so-wonderful answers from my survey let me expound on the true nature of this anatomical system from my personal perspective.

The Nervous System

Biologically this is defined as the processing center for sensory input to elicit appropriate responses. The mind of a woman is a beautiful place, it is a complicated place and it is a place that no one can ever truly understand. No test, no scan can ever truly tell you how complex our minds can get. First, women seem to be manufactured with an auto program containing the “sacrifice” feature. We are accustomed to always place ourselves second. Our mind never allows us to be selfish. In our homes, whether we are in the kitchen preparing a meal or picking up clothes for laundry or even simply cleaning up the house, we do this selflessly many times for people other than ourselves. We ensure our families are fed and healthy; we ensure they are well provided for; we ensure their environment is one that makes them feel happy, content and safe. This neurological impulse gets even stronger when we become Mothers. At this stage, we are somewhat split with that of our child. Their pain becomes ours, their hunger affects us, their joys are shared with us, their achievements and failures all become naturally shared between us. More often than not this leaves us sacrificing more for our cellular split than for ourselves. Secondly, our minds contain enormous amounts of positivity. Women offer hope to their spouses when things get tough; they offer hope to their children to be the best they can be in life; they offer hope to the world when it is on its knees and on the brink of disaster. This elicitation of positivity within our anatomy is one which can never be upended from us no matter the circumstance. Lastly, the female mind is a place of love. We tend to offer a sensory response of love to all whom we touch. Love, which comes in the form of kindness and generosity. Our love is immeasurable as it is a love that is meant for sharing with others, whether these people are deserving of such or not. Therefore, to me our neurological system is made up of sacrifice, hope and love; forming the most crucial part of our entire anatomical system.

The Respiratory System

Biologically this is defined as a gas exchange between the internal and external environment. A woman’s internal environment contains a sack full of knowledge. It is said one woman can do twice what a man can. This is because we are accustomed to utilizing our smartness to both cater for our families while at the same time succeed at our careers and businesses. The knowledge we acquire however is always one which we readily pass on to others, be they our children or even acquaintances. We tend to utilize our knowledge for the benefit of not just ourselves but in selfless readiness to elevate others as well. Women are teachers. They exchange their internal knowledge with the external environment without fear or favor. Mothers especially are the most revered instructors of all. They have raised every single human being on earth, having taught them everything from childhood to adulthood. The same way our lungs breathe in and out subconsciously, so do these educators who neither keep count nor ask for penance of their role in society. Just as when the lungs undergo stress and are unable to properly provide for the optimal functioning of our bodies, the same applies to those beings unfortunate not to receive the knowledge passed down from female role models. The symbiotic relationship between the internal and external elements of a woman’s contribution to the building of human behavior is second to none. Being part of the respiration system of the female anatomy is to understand, acknowledge and appreciate the immense contribution that today’s woman offers to society at large.

The Digestive System

Biologically this is defined as the physical and chemical breakdown of food to allow absorption of nutrients. It is said that digestion begins in the mouth – the mouth in our case being the upbringing of every human being but in particular that of women. How we are brought up determines the future not just for ourselves but for our offspring. A free minded, free spirited and encouraged to succeed woman is likely going to have a beginning that will ease out the process of life therefrom. In contrast, a subdued, neglected and unappreciated woman will be brought up with the understanding that her value is of no consequence to society and that her existence is meant to be defined by a set of steadfast rules against which she ought to have no say. The teeth within our mouth hold great importance because without their invaluable contribution to the chewing process, we are likely to have consequent digestive problems. Understanding this in the context of those who are responsible for our upbringing, we come to realize that at the very beginning, a simple process as ‘chewing properly’, or rather being molded properly can lead to an unpredictable outcome of possibly inept qualities being instilled in an otherwise wonderful species. At times, our upbringing is adequately catered for and we do turn out as impeccable beings. But foreign elements can easily destroy that which is so meticulously built up and left just as easily to nothing but ruin. In our lives, we sometimes let in toxic individuals or behaviors which can destroy a good beginning and lead to an undesired conclusion. We may ‘chew’ well but ‘what we chew’ matters. Knowingly consuming things that breed destruction to our bodies is detrimental to us. Who we associate with, if we are not careful, can erode the gains our caregivers so diligently made over the course of our early lives. As women, we are constantly fighting battles that seem to favor our downfall more than our success. Not taking heed can cause our otherwise flawless system to easily get negatively affected leaving us vulnerable to manipulation and erratic misconceptions against which we become cumulatively judged as the weaker species. Keeping this system of upbringing flawless by nurturing a future that is filled with optimism ensures we provide the right nutritious values not just to ourselves but to all those around us as well.

 The Reproductive System

Biologically this is defined as the production of cells that will generate offspring. Reproduction is a dual process that involves contribution from both male and female biology to enable the continuance of our species. However, while the male contribution is crucial, their participation is limited to a minute (or less) of delivery of the needed ingredient but fails to be a participant in the remainder of the oven baking process. The female form is one which bears the greatest responsibility for the successful bearing and rearing of the fruit of our loins. But again, this is the biological aspect of our anatomy; the flipside to this involves the woman being at the core of life itself. As women, we sacrifice and bear the difficulties of all aspects of societal pressures just so we can deliver our very best albeit the painful circumstances. Female representation be it in the political sphere or otherwise, is constantly limited by the opportunities that are made available to us. These include, and are not limited to, access to education, readily available job opportunities and in general an equal and equitable space at the negotiating freedom table of life. Just as we carry a fetus within our womb for nine grueling months, so do we carry the weight of inequality, injustice and lack of opportunity on our shoulders for most of our life! It takes extensive effort to achieve the same progress that our male counterparts so easily come by. The struggle we go through as women in trying to climb the ladder to success is no less painful, harrowing, and uncertain as is the birthing process itself. Even after we drudgingly succeed in our individual achievements, maintaining our success is a task that is defined by constant uncertainty and double the effort to merely remain afloat. Therefore, as our biological reproductive system is involved in the process of giving birth, it tends not to be the end but rather the beginning of what comes next. This is true for all women out there who not only find the path to self-achievement riddled with thorns and boulders but even after passing through they tend to find that theirs is just the commencement of a lifelong habitual commitment undertaken whether willingly or otherwise. However, not all is lost, after all bringing life into this world is a joy with immeasurable pleasure as is similarly for those women who continue to work hard, leave a mark and act as role models for others to emulate by continuing to offer hope to those who are still entwined in the initial phase of success while on their way to brighter days.

So, for those of us whom I surveyed and were not able to see beyond the physique of the female persona, I trust this gives you an insight as to the true anatomy, many at times challenging but ultimately of the wonderful and complex creature we fondly refer to as ‘The Woman’. Remember, perfection is achieved when all the systems described above work in tandem with each other to produce nature’s finest offering. Be the finest now won’t you!

Article written by:

Zahra Jalalkhan

E: zahrajid@gmail.com

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IG: @chocobot3

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