I think there are too many women who put on a smile and think they’ll deal with it. The internalization of the goblins leads to further systemic issues.
We See You Too is a new publication from US/Canadian consultancy The Systems Sanctuary. Pulling together themes in the voices of the women who took part in their 7 month program The Systems Sisterhood, it dives into some of the gritty and often unacknowledged challenges facing women who try and lead in the field of systems change.
Being Disruptive as a Woman, Health and Burn-Out, Money, Redefining Gender Norms, Intersectional and Equity Lens were some of the most prominent. We explored how an ability to think and see differently is valuable and it takes courage to name these perspectives in dominant systems.
“Where on that dial do I have to be? When do I need to be fierce, and when do I have to be gentle?” Said one participant.
Tatiana Fraser, co-author said
We talked about what it might take to bring all of who we are to our work and not hide pieces of ourselves anymore, the power to be courageous and act in ways that honors these aspects of ourselves and different ways of knowing and leading. We reflected on the powerful culture that can emerge when a group of women all do that together. Our collective hope was that this conversation emboldens us to be more connected, authentic and more powerful leaders.
An inter-generational program we talked about transitions into Elderhood, and how being a daughter, mother, sister, or grandmother informed our work: “All our experiences have been immensely valuable. We as women are so undervalued in society generally. Old people in particular.“
Said Rachel Sinha, co-author of the report:
The Sisterhood provided us a place to be open and honest about our lives, challenges and about the challenges we felt that are often unspoken. There was value in having peer mentorship within age groups and across all stages of life.
