There are times when I feel that to express my gender as a woman, I must do so defiantly. For wrapped up in the word ‘woman’ are so many expectations, biases, and preconditioned feelings that defining myself against these is a daily struggle. Why should I have to fend off people who wish to control my body? Why should I expect that I will be appreciated less for the work I do? Why should I have to prove that I deserve respect for my abilities? Counteracting gender bias is for me a seminal social justice issue and pops up frequently in my writing.