An Inconvenient Woman

Summary

Women are terribly inconvenient. Whether you’re looking at an ancient text like the Bible, looking at more recent history, or trying to appoint a Supreme Court nominee, women seem to get in the way. Women bust up our image of heroes when they come forth with truth about their past actions. Women adjust our notions of productivity when they take time to have kids and plan a family. Women seem to act up when the rights of others are taken away, planning marches, blocking roads, and refusing to be silent when what’s wanted is a keeping of the status quo.

In the news lately, people have a difficult time believing women. Women put their suffering on full display, detailing painful accounts of assault or other mistreatment, and yet many people remain unmoved. Women are telling an inconvenient narrative. Maybe they’ve named someone we like, or admire, or someone we thought was a “good person.” Maybe taking their accounts into perspective creates a time crunch, or a new employee search, or the need to fire someone, or an awkward confrontation. Women telling the truth is just not convenient.