From Sex and the City to Animal Farm: Voices of Women

This week brought aggravation. Not just the I’m-on-call-and-everybody-wants-a-piece-of-me-now stuff, but a lot of committee meetings. As I sat through these “events” I felt angry.
I am not opposed to what we were discussing; much of it makes a lot of sense. So why did I want to shout “No,” and do a Diva-stomp out of the room?
I finally figured it out. For several years I have wanted to make our section better, starting with another faculty member. A salary line received approval a few years back, but we were not allowed to recruit. Even when we confirmed increases in our patient volumes, we were told to wait, to be patient, to be team players. For years our opinions and desires have been ignored or minimized.
Now, a lot of other people are telling us what we must do. They don’t necessarily listen to our input, even when it might be in a patient’s best interest. They have their own agenda, and if we are in the way, well, too damn bad.
We have lost our voice. This theme recurred throughout Sex and the City 2: Miranda’s new boss, Carrie’s bad book review, and the veiled women of the middle east. All literally or symbolically suffered a blockade of their mouths.
I wonder if this could have anything to do with the composition of our section; after all, we are two women. Would a group of men be this disenfranchised? Ever?
In Animal Farm, society initially regulates itself by the Seven Commandments, summarized as all animals are equal. By the end of the book, the powers in charge have changed the most important commandment:

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

Yup, I know how they feel. My section, my specialty is definitely less equal these days.
And it’s damn irritating. Maybe I should practice my Diva-stomp.