Do You Have a Global Voice? Be Heard Where it Counts
Ambitious goals are amplified by the power of a voice that resonates globally.
As leaders, ambitious goals are amplified by the power of a voice that resonates. The key is being heard where it counts.
The Population Without A Voice
In Afghanistan, women’s voices are being silenced by the Taliban. In August 2024, the regime issued laws that prevent women from speaking, singing, or even reading aloud in public, deeming their voices as too intimate for public spaces1. This is part of a broader strategy to eliminate women from public life entirely. Deprived of education, work, and the freedom to move freely, Afghan women are being erased from the social fabric. As Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, warns, the country is losing a generation of women who could have become doctors, engineers, journalists, and leaders2.
Afghan women have repeatedly called for representation in discussions about their country’s future, but their demands often fall on deaf ears. In recent UN talks in Doha, women’s and human rights were notably absent from the agenda, and no women were invited to participate. The silence from global leaders is deafening, and it reflects a broader issue: women’s voices are often ignored, even in societies that pride themselves on equality and fairness.
Boardrooms, Meeting Rooms, Zoom Rooms Without Her Voice
This silencing isn’t confined to Afghanistan. Across the world, women face significant barriers when they strive to be heard, particularly in professional settings.
A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology by Heilman and Okimoto in 20073 found that women displaying traits commonly associated with ambition - such as assertiveness and dominance - are often penalised. They are less likely to be hired compared to men who exhibit the same characteristics. Media representations exacerbate this problem by often portraying ambitious women negatively, reinforcing the stereotype that ambition is unappealing in women.
Despite some progress, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles globally. The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap Report revealed that gender parity is still nearly a century away4. This statistic isn’t just pathetic about numbers; it reflects a deep-seated reluctance to support ambitious women fully.
The Power Of A Single Voice
Yet, amidst these challenges, there are stories of women who have found their voices and amplified them through digital platforms, reaching global audiences and leading change. Examples include:
Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of American history at Boston College who started writing a daily Substack newsletter, “Letters From An American,” in 20195. Without any sponsorships or brand partnerships, her newsletter ‘about the history behind politics’ has attracted a massive following, generating over US$1 million per month from subscribers who pay as little as US$5 per month. Richardson’s success shows how digital connectivity can empower individuals to bypass traditional gatekeepers, generate significant wealth and influence, and speak directly to those who care about what they have to say.
Malala Yousafzai turned to social media to share her story after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban. Through her blog, Yousafzai documented her life under Taliban rule and her fight for girls’ education. Her voice, amplified by digital platforms, resonated globally. Yousafzai went on to become the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate and a leading advocate for education and women’s rights worldwide.
“I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.” – Malala Yousafzai
Greta Thunberg started as a lone protester outside the Swedish parliament and her calls for climate action gained traction through social media. Her message spread globally and led to millions of people joining the Fridays for Future movement. Thunberg’s ability to mobilise a global audience demonstrates the power of digital platforms in amplifying voices that might otherwise go unheard.
Tarana Burke, the founder of the #MeToo movement, used social media to highlight the pervasive issue of sexual harassment and assault. What began as a grassroots effort turned into a global movement, with millions of women sharing their stories online. Burke’s work has led to significant changes in how sexual misconduct is addressed, both legally and socially.
Transcending Borders to Drive Change
In 2024, we witness both the elimination of voice through the silencing of Afghan women and the ability of women like Richardson to connect with an audience worldwide and commercialise their global voices. This contrast is stark.
If there’s a war to be heard, the internet is our weapon. Digital connectivity transcends borders and disrupts traditional power structures, giving those who speak out the potential to drive significant change.
As business leaders, there is a critical lesson to learn. Expanding our worldview and embracing global perspectives not only enriches our understanding but also opens up new avenues for influence and impact. Ambition dies when a voice is lost in the void. We must ensure that we are not just speaking, but speaking in the right places, where our voices can resonate and be heard. And as leaders, we must create these opportunities for others, even when it challenges the status quo.
There’s more to the world than what we see; when we expand our horizons, we unlock a universe of opportunities to connect, influence, and lead globally.
The world burns*. Find your global voice. Speak where it counts.
*
https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-vice-virtue-laws-women-9626c24d8d5450d52d36356ebff20c83
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/20/the-guardian-view-on-afghanistan-gender-apartheid-dont-embolden-the-taliban
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-23339-007
https://www.weforum.org/publications/gender-gap-2020-report-100-years-pay-equality/
https://growthinreverse.com/heather-cox-richardson/
Further Reading:
While these stories both break and lift my heart, you only have to look - in real time - to politics in the US to see these risks playing out. On the one hand, we have our first woman of colour standing for president. On the other, we have an opposition suggesting that women without children have less value (childless cat ladies are on the bottom rung) implying that there's only one role of value for American women. Motherhood. Never mind the drum-beat of denigration or sexualization of women in general, and the erosion of women's reproductive rights. If you have the right to vote in the USA, please exercise it and vote for Kamala Harris. The alternative is marching us closer toward Afghanistan.