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Today is the last day of my 40s & I want to tell you about Invisible Woman Syndrome, which is middle-aged women’s experiences of not being seen in public spaces & rendered undesirable beneath the male gaze. This is me 
, a proud middle aged woman rejecting invisibility.
, a proud middle aged woman rejecting invisibility.
But the issue of gender based invisibility isn’t strictly about appearance or defiance. This Invisible Woman Syndrome thing impacts women’s ability to access recreational spaces, services & local networks. We are excluded from life saving studies & deserved career opportunities.
While all of these issues aren’t my lived experiences, I have heard so MANY brilliant and beautiful middle aged women (& gender diverse folks) share these concerns. I feel passionate about disrupting place-based practices and policies that contribute to women’s invisibility.
Tomorrow, on my 50th birthday, I’m going to ask women 35 and older to join me in a fun thread to raise awareness about this so called syndrome, which is actually plain old patriarchy. So, you all get ready to share your fav pic of yourselves being visible and vibrant in #public.
For now, I’m going to leave y’all with a few lines from a Maya Angelou poem that perfectly describes how I’m rolling into 50 years old:
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
