I think Shana used a telling word, "protected." It seems women need a room... a welcoming space of their own that is protected for voicing up. It was this absence that got so many women off the EPC list onto a separate one. JSA Lowe, I've been in the situation you describe and have had to practice volume. Seems that we all need to take responsiblity in recognizing communication differences and look for a way to bridge the gaps. Thanks for this blog topic and all those voicing up.

Thank you for this discussion. I am reminded of a Arts Council meeting I went to years ago. In attendence were mostly men. They talked all the time, often interrupting others. Before the meeting ended, the director asked for input from those who had not yet spoken - all women - who then spoke up. I asked the director about her strategy of asking the quiet ones to speak. The director, with a degree in Women's Leadership, explained that women often wait for an opening, such as a pause in the conversation, which differs from men's more interruptive style.