Who doesn’t know the woman who wears 100 hats? We all know these Women and usually, as they carry their business, we’re unaware of all they do. Akin to the gardeners nurturing both seed and soil. As one day the garden bears fruit and sustenance for yet another season is found. The ground it seems is good and none of this is magic. It is thoughtful, measured, purposeful, endless work by Women in their various seats, with their many and varied tasks, in their many and varied hats.
We’ve evidence of their work and weaving when families in dire straits are pulled together and held, funding for community projects have been found, hot meals to bare tables materialise, bandaids on bruised knees relieve tears, committee meetings have been chaired, letters in the night arrive at parliament and laws for equality come to be….‘things’ just get done, upon a common thread. To call this a ‘Woman’s Lot’ is neither amusement nor grace. For what it is and what we know it to have been for centuries, remains a concurrent struggle while we fight to gain our rightful place at every table.
We’re aware of the importance of leadership, but we need to continually refocus our efforts on giving support to those leaders. No matter the navigational skill or ability of those at the front, our leaders will only go as far as we’re willing and able to support them.
So when one of our Women is brave enough to stick her head above the parapet we must be ready to surround her, lift her up and protect her. We cannot be afraid of pushing at the sides to give her room and if we can do it together, we’ll have less casualties. Because if she suffers the exhaustible pin pricks or is cut down, we don’t just lose her leadership, her injuries affect the entire community that she works to support whilst wearing those many and varied hats. Who doesn’t know the woman who wears the many hats?
