The Most Dangerous Voices Are the Ones That Whisper

Judgments disguised as concern, passed down through generations of women

Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash

As a result of spending the day immersed in quotes, writings, and speeches about women’s freedom and equality,
I found myself wanting to list the voices that kill that freedom — and the confidence that comes with it.

So I closed my eyes and began to recall all the most disgusting, demeaning statements a woman might hear in her life.

I expected them to come from deep, dominating male voices.
But to my shock, I heard husky and soft female voices too — just as many.
Let me write down a few of them:

“She didn’t even wear a shawl! Don’t you think her dress is too revealing?”

“I saw your daughter riding on a bike with a boy. Girls these days are spoilt with too much freedom.”

“You better lose some weight, or it’ll be tough to find a groom for you.”

“You don’t even know how to cook? What does that say about your mother’s upbringing?”

“Did you get your periods this month? Any good news?”

“Why did you invite her to the baby shower? She hasn’t had a baby for years… it’s…