Hello beautiful soul
I love sharing newsletters that lift us up as women, but sometimes, I also have to remind us of where we really are.
This week is one of those weeks.
Since I began speaking more openly about the lived experiences of womenânaming the fear, the silencing, the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways patriarchy shows upâsomething predictable has been happening.
The pushback.
The telling off.
The tone-policing.
The performative outrage.
Last week, I shared a post about the fear women experience just walking through the world, given how many of us have experienced sexual assault at the hands of men.
One man replied with a single emoji: đ„±
Dismissive. Disrespectful.
But sadly, not surprising.
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This week, another man followed up publicly. Twice.
He told me to âgrow up,â called me an âadult baby,â and accused me of dishonestyâfor daring to name the truth of womenâs experience.
Let me be clear:
My goal has never been to attack men.
My goal is to call attention to what we are experiencingâevery day.
If that makes some people feel uncomfortable, good.
Discomfort is the entry point to awareness.
Whatâs not okay is the scolding tone in DMs, comments, and messages.
What is okayâwhatâs actually welcomeâis discourse.
Disagree if you must, but do it with respect. Meet me in conversation, not condemnation.
And this is whatâs happening to you, tooâin the workplace, in meetings, across life.
Maybe not in words as obvious as these, but in glances, eye-rolls, and subtle undermining.
But then... THIS.
Hi Ruth
Thank you for standing up for these important issues. I just noticed someone commenting to you and calling you âadult babyâ and get back to work. I reported it and the comment seems to have disappeared. Hope it has for you as well. Men who are really not men but rude beings should not have a voice.
Keep going strong!
Warmly, Esther
Sisterhood. Standing together. That's alongside the 260+ people who supported and 150+ comments.
And then... THIS.
Another man who at first was asking questions, sent me an invite to connect. In our conversation over a few messages he said:
Your posts have made me reflect deeply. Iâm realising it might be time for meâas a manâto step back, listen more, and stop assuming I have the right answers. Iâm still wrapping my head around it, but I want to support womenâs leadership and be of service however I can.
THIS is what CAN happen when a woman speaks up. Thank you Michael.
Sister: We have been gaslit into submission for too long. Taught to second-guess, to shrink, to self-censor.
Itâs time we broke free from this ridiculousness.
Keep speaking.
Keep posting.
Keep sharing.
There are some who want us quietâbecause they know our voices are powerful.
There are some who want us smallâbecause our full expression threatens the very systems they cling to.
Enough.
This month, Iâm hosting a free session for women inside Women Who Lead Sisterhoodâand I want to invite you to join us.
The Sisterhood is my private community space for all of my group programmes. And for a short time at least, Iâve decided to open it upâfree to access, to see what Blooms when women come together in safety and truth.
Session details:
"Say the Darn Thing: Speaking with courage, clarity and credibility"
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April 29th
đ 4pm UK / 11am ET
This is your invitation to rise.
To take up space.
To back each other.
To keep telling the truthâeven when it shakes the room.
Because our liberationâquite literallyâdepends on it.
We have a new episode on Women Who Lead, the podcast
What's even better is that you can WATCH or LISTEN, depending on your vibe.
In the latest episode of Women Who Lead, I sit down with the brilliant Charmain ManningâCEO, strategic operator, and calm force for changeâto explore what it really means to lead with resilience, clarity, and care.
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Rooting for you always
Ruth x
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