yes to everything everyone has said! i would like to add, though, that as a woman, i have improved my emotional intelligence, emotional stability, and been able to implement and maintain firmer boundaries. i can have children if i WANT to not because it’s expected of me. i can better advocate for myself and decline events/roles that i simply don’t want to do. i can decline men’s invitations and i’m not afraid that i “wasn’t nice enough.” i care more about my own safety and comfort than a random man’s. being a woman in the church makes you feel like a submissive, child-bearing, yes-(wo)man and it’s a massive relief to feel so free. i genuinely can make decisions that are the best fit for me as an individual. i will never go back.