A Woman’s Voice of
Power
~ Gwilda Wiyaka ~
Expression.
It’s fascinating to realize how, as women, our natural
expression is stifled from an early age. “Children should be seen, not heard.
Don’t whine, act like a big girl. Don’t be so loud, ladies are soft spoken.
Don’t chatter so much, it’s not becoming. Quit squirming. Don’t cross your
legs, keep your dress down, sit like a lady,” and so on. From the volume and
tonal quality of our voice to our body language, we are left with a shadow of
our natural expression once (we’ve been?) properly socialized into perfect
little ladies.
That’s not to say boys don’t get their share of
restrictions. But with them, there is a bit more leeway. After all, “Boys will
be boys.”
How do these imposed restrictions impact women trying
to make their way in the world? Are we invalidated because we are soft spoken
or have high pitched voices? Does our entrained, demure demeanor make us appear
weak and ineffectual in historically male arenas? Do we have to emulate men in
order to succeed?
Is there such a thing as a woman’s voice of power?
With us to explore a woman’s voice in the world is CHRIS
JAHNKE author of “The Well-Spoken Woman,” and a speech coach to progressive
leaders at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Black Lives Matter, Planned
Parenthood, and Union of Concerned Scientists. Since 1991, she has advised more
women candidates and elected officials than any other US based coach. Her
speech and debate coaching have been featured in such media as the New York
Times, Glamour, NPR, Politico ELLE, US News, and VICE News.
Her website: well-spoken-woman.com
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