We Are Women, Hear Us Roar

We are mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, girlfriends, nieces, lovers. We are doctors, nurses, athletes, homemakers, lawyers, counselors, songwriters, test pilots, educators, chefs, scientists, writers, mathematicians, coaches, astronauts, steelworkers, Olympians, manufacturers, dentists, importers, store owners, librarians, poets, race-car drivers, soldiers, activists, entertainers, salespeople, dog walkers, inventors, factory workers, CEOs, CFOs, industrialists, computer experts, photographers, maids, florists, gardeners, filmmakers, actors, architects, explorers, artists, veterinarians, technicians, newscasters, journalists, therapists, models, designers, law enforcement, auto mechanics, psychologists, royalty, entrepreneurs, caregivers, senators, researchers, astrophysicists, prime ministers, physical therapists, FBI agents, etc. Anywhere things need doing, there’s a woman, and she can do more than one thing at a time. Sometimes three things, and many times she can do them better than a man.

YET, on average, we’re paid $.77 for every dollar earned by a man. YET, our insurance rates are higher, though we live longer, which means we take better care of ourselves, but the cost still burns. YET, legislation devised by men wants to make it difficult for women to get reproductive health care. YET, a woman running for president is vilified for decades because she’s a strong, independent woman and because she’s judged by different standards than a man. YET, many actresses are paid less than an actor in an equal role in the same movie or TV series. YET, some men feel it is their prerogative to grab, abuse, and defame women because they think it’s their right, and much of the time they get away with it. YET, people, including other women, judge a woman’s looks and body, but they rarely do the same to a man. Why? YET, there are still dozens of glass ceilings to be broken, and no one seems to have an answer why they haven’t been crashed. YET, women have a harder time becoming partners in law firms, Wall Street firms, and on industry boards and in government. YET, YET, YET…

This year we’ve had some terrific images of strong women. Some are fictional: Wonder Woman, and Atomic Blonde; some are real: Hillary Clinton, the women of Hidden Figures, a new political candidate and retired combat aviator, Lt. Col. Amy McGrath; a tech giant, Sheryl Sandberg; a new senator, Kamala Harris, and a singer/songwriter, Taylor Swift, who refused to let a man get away with what he thought was his right to physically assault her. We are more vocal to our daughters and granddaughters about who they can be, and if they want to reach for that glass ceiling badly enough, they have a better chance to succeed than in the past. Girls and women everywhere are setting new standards, but it’s still like running a race with a man who has a hundred-yard advantage.

Still, we are unstoppable. We are fearless. We are strong. We are smart.

We are women; hear us roar--with a big shout-out to Helen Reddy.

Leave a comment on what you think I missed, who I missed, and where you think we go from here.

Polly Iyer is the author of eight novels: standalones Hooked, InSight, Murder Déjà Vu, Threads, and Indiscretion, and three books in the Diana Racine Psychic Suspense series, Mind Games, Goddess of the Moon, and Backlash. A Massachusetts native, she makes her home in the beautiful Piedmont region of South Carolina. You can visit her website for more on Polly and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.