Victim to Voice
I’ve seen and heard and discussed some things recently that have brought top of mind something that has been troubling me beneath the surface for a while. This is a difficult and controversial one so I’m a bit hesitant to write about it, but here goes.
Let me start by saying that there are some very real, very frustrating and very damaging, even dangerous, issues that women face in this world. Everything from fundamental ‘bottom of the pyramid’ things like sexual assault (even from within the police force), to inadequate childcare provision and dinosaur mentality on flexible working limiting career progression, to menopause physically impacting workplace performance, to the ‘luxury gender issues’ at the top of the pyramid that lead men to get most of the top jobs.
It goes without saying that all of these issues are profoundly important and need addressing. None of them should be required to be points of discussion in the 21st Century. But they are. And there are some who believe they shouldn’t be discussed, that women should soldier on in silence because it makes us seem weak to draw attention to these things. Now, I absolutely do not believe we need to keep quiet about any of this, but what does bother me sometimes is the way they are raised and discussed. Frankly, I am often left feeling an uncomfortable sense that we women are victims in this world, that we are appealing with passionate protests and speeches to our ‘masters’, the men who run the world, to implore them to see our plight and take action to change things for us.
I suspect this may be the fundamental problem and the reason why things aren’t changing for women and gender equality. I fear there is no point appealing to the men in charge because, well, they are men - and no matter how good, decent and well-intended a man someone is, he is never going to understand what it is to be a woman and, therefore, see women’s issues as a priority in the way women do. I believe the only way things will change is when men aren’t running the world and dominating all the discussions an making all the decisions together, when women and men are leading and running things together.
And to get there I believe we need to change modes ‘from Victim to Voice’ and start really using our power. We need to break down this system of men as masters who bestow upon us (or not), we need to stop voting in just male politicians who won’t (can’t) represent us and we need to start using our voice and voting in women who get it and who will. If our employer isn’t committed to driving gender equality - and all the strategies that enable it - we need to use our voice and, if necessary, our feet and take our talent, brilliance & contribution to another employer or culture that is.
I have said it many times before and I’ll say it again: women are 50% of the population and capability of the world. If we are victims of the consequences of the leadership and decisions of men, it is ultimately because we allow them to be chosen to be in charge. I think the world absolutely needs to hear about women’s issues, but I think it’s time they heard it with the Voice and power of women in the room and at the table.