Women's Voices

I suppose if I posted on every issue or noteworthy news item, I'd never even have time to eat!  

One thing that has been hitting home recently in the wake of the accusations against Bill Cosby and in the events taking place at Univ. of VA., is that women's voices are too often doubted or ignored.  Many women columnists have raised the point that it was only after a male comedian talked of allegations against Cosby that the story gained notice. In the U. VA case, the woman who told her story to Rolling Stone has indicated she met with little encouragement to come forward. 

Many, many working women have told, and still tell, stories of their contribution to a discussion being ignored until being brought up again by a male co-worker.  And if you haven't seen it, there's a famous commercial which calls attention to the different way women leaders are labelled.  In fact, isn't there a "campaign" to eliminate the label "bossy" from the vernacular?

However, we women have been and continue to be strong and resilient.  We have found ways to voice our concerns.  From Abigail Adams exhorting John to "Remember the Ladies" to the suffragists to Eleanor Roosevelt, who found her unique voice in being useful and in speaking up for those who needed a voice, we have fought to make ourselves heard.  We must not stop now!

And speaking of women who found a voice, we cannot forget Sojourner Truth!  Here is a video of a modern actress, Kerry Washington, doing a recreation of one of her most famous speeches.

Keep speaking up, Sisters;  and Brothers, stand with us!

UPDATE 12/6:

It has come out that there are real inconsistencies in the Rolling Stone story mentioned above.  I just hope this doesn't deter other women from coming forward and from being believed.