This post is from one of my favorite blogs, “language: a feminist guide.” It highlights the pervasive and insidious nature of sexism today. The fact that men can still be so clueless about the impact of their speech and the manner in which they use it speaks to the invisibility of their truly massive privilege.
Women encounter this type of sexism on a daily basis and it can be truly soul-crushing. To be talked over, ignored, and belittled in private and public conversation drives home the point that we are less-than; not even worthy of acknowledgment. I believe it should also prompt us to look at the ways that we elevate the voices of other women. Whether it be through reblogging another woman’s post, repeating what another woman says in a group situation, or asking silent women their opinions, working to elevate the voices of women is a worthwhile endeavor.
An example of this type of elevation in action:
https://amysmartgirls.com/this-woman-stood-up-when-she-saw-another-woman-being-talked-over-472eb312ff7a
If you haven’t spent the last decade living on another planet, I’m sure you will recognise the following sequence of events:
- A powerful man says something egregiously sexist, either in a public forum or in a private conversation which is subsequently leaked.
- There is an outpouring of indignation on social media.
- The mainstream media take up the story and the criticism gets amplified.
- The powerful man announces that he is stepping down.
- His critics claim this as a victory and the media move on—until another powerful man says another egregiously sexist thing, at which point the cycle begins again.
The most recent high-profile target for this ritual shaming was David Bonderman, a billionaire venture capitalist and member of Uber’s board of directors. It’s no secret that Uber has a serious sexism problem. Following a number of discrimination and harassment claims from former employees, the company commissioned what turned out to…
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a rain and a gale 