A reflection on women’s voices, democracy, and leadership

Today in the U.S., we mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and my heart is heavy.

I find myself returning to Dr. King’s unwavering belief in love, compassion, and nonviolent resistance: not as lofty ideals, but as deliberate, strategic choices.

His work reminds us that justice doesn’t move forward through silence, neutrality, or patience for patience’s sake. It moves because people choose to speak, act, and disrupt unjust systems.

Re-reading “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is both humbling and unsettling. Dr. King asks a question that still lands uncomfortably today:

What does responsibility look like for those who see injustice clearly and still hesitate?

This is a question I’ve been drawn to since my days studying political movements in history. It’s also one I’m asking myself now.

I’ve long believed that when women are seen and heard as public voices – and when we have safe access to the public sphere – we advance women’s leadership and move closer to gender equality.

What’s at stake here is fundamental: women’s equal rights and equal citizenship.

In recent months, I’ve found myself paying attention to how often women are publicly diminished, targeted, or erased, and what that signals about who is allowed to speak, be believed, and belong.

When a woman is shot dead in public by a federal agent, who seemingly called her a slur after shooting her three times, and the administration chooses not to investigate, instead accusing Renee Good and her wife of terrorism, it sends a deeper message that speaking up is costly, futile, and even dangerous.

When right-wing influencers label women like Good as “AWFUL” (affluent white female urban liberals) and frame feminism as the cause of men’s problems, it reinforces narratives that punish women for visibility and independence.

When a major social media platform X allows users to “undress” women and children using AI tools with no accountability, it normalizes the objectification of women and girls at scale.

When thousands of federal workers are fired, DEI initiatives are dismantled, and institutions are forced to comply, disproportionately affecting Black women, it reveals how power is unevenly distributed and withdrawn.

Taken together, these moments point to something larger.

When women of all ages, races, and backgrounds are repeatedly objectified and dehumanized – online or in public protest, in workplaces or on streets – none of us is truly safe from dehumanization. That’s what worries me most.

What we are witnessing is a concerted effort to push non-compliant women out of the public sphere.

This is where feminism and democracy intersect.

As Carol Gilligan writes in Darkness Now Visible: Patriarchy’s Resurgence and Feminist Resistance:

“Feminism is not an issue of women only or a battle of women vs. men. Feminism is one of the great liberation movements of human history; it is the movement to free democracy from patriarchy.”

Gilligan goes on to explain:

“Democracy rests on a premise of equal voice… For democracy to be truly a government of, by and for the people, everyone’s voice becomes vital. Hence the need… for a public arena where everyone can come and speak.”

This is why your voice – no matter your topic, industry, or audience – matters. You being a woman with a public voice and a public presence does make a difference.

Which brings me back to Dr. King.

We do have power, especially when we use it collectively and strategically.

Love, compassion, care, hope, voice, and action – that’s what will light our way.

If you’re looking for places to channel your voice and energy into collective action and community, here are a few organizations doing important work:

• https://indivisible.org/
• https://democracyforward.org/community/
• https://sheshouldrun.org/
• https://emilyslist.org/

And always remember: Your voice matters.

~Carol

P.S. If you’re new to Speaking Your Brand and wondering why I’m writing about this: Our mission is to encourage and support women to find and use their voices and to lead with empathy, courage, and integrity.

I’ve been a political analyst on TV news for nearly 20 years, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be a woman with a public voice.

P.P.S. For more on the importance of women in the public sphere, listen to episode 267 of the Speaking Your Brand podcast on “The Way to Gender Equality is through Public Speaking​.”