Speak Up and Be Heard

Sonia Brown MBE
Jul 17
5 min read

"Why Protecting Women's Voices in Leadership, Business and Professional Spaces Matters More Than Ever!"

In every boardroom, pitch meeting and strategic planning session, there’s a pattern that many women know all too well, they begin to speak and someone interrupts them.

Sometimes it’s a quick interjection. Sometimes it’s a full derailment of their thought. Often, it’s not even acknowledged. To many times, these moments may seem trivial. Yet research tells us they are far from harmless.

A comprehensive study from the University of Michigan, Manterruptions and Mansplaining, reveals a truth many professional women have lived with silently.

Men interrupt women at least three times more often than they interrupt other men. In a controlled three-minute conversation, men interrupted women approximately 2.1 times, compared to 1.8 times when speaking with other men. The difference might sound marginal until you realise this happens repeatedly in meetings, interviews and public forums. Over time, these interruptions compound, stripping women of their voice, presence and perceived authourity.

The High Cost of Constant Interruptions

Interruptions aren’t just bad manners. They are a form of workplace microaggression, subtle yet damaging acts that reinforce power imbalances. They diminish the credibility of the speaker, steal ownership of ideas and contribute to a workplace culture where women’s expertise is routinely side-lined.

According to the McKinsey Women in the Workplace report (2024), women are twice as likely as men to report being interrupted or spoken over. The cumulative impact?

Women begin to doubt their contributions, hold back from speaking up or feel the need to over-prepare and over-explain. In leadership, this silent erosion can cost women opportunities for advancement, visibility in decision-making and recognition for their ideas.

The consequences ripple beyond individual careers. When organisations silence women, even unintentionally or 'unconsciously', they lose out on diverse insights, creative problem-solving and the unique perspectives that fuel innovation and growth.

The Systemic Nature of Interruptions

Manterruptions, bropropriation (when a man takes credit for a woman’s idea) and mansplaining are not isolated incidents. They are rooted in systemic biases about power, dominance and who is seen as credible. Studies consistently show that men are socialised to compete for conversational control, while women are often taught to yield, listen or defer.

These patterns aren’t limited to male-dominated industries. They show up in corporate boardrooms, nonprofit strategy sessions, political forums and startup pitch meetings. They even occur in spaces explicitly designed to empower women when those spaces include mixed-gender leadership or stakeholders.

The Compounded Impact on Women of Colour

For women of colour, especially Black women, the stakes are even higher. Academic research by scholars such as Dr. Kecia M. Thomas, a pioneering scholar and Dr. Patricia Hill Collins a leading expert in the psychology of workplace diversity, Dr. Thomas highlight that Black women often navigate the burdens of intersectionality, the matrix of domination, racial and gender bias in professional spaces. Interruptions and dismissals compound with stereotypical perceptions, such as the "angry Black woman" trope, making assertive communication a delicate balancing act between being heard and being unfairly labelled.

Black women frequently report experiencing what’s called "epistemic exclusion," where their knowledge is marginalised; expertise and contributions systematically devalued, overlooked and face greater implicit biases leading to feelings of isolation, burnout and a sense of not belonging.

A study published in Gender & Society highlights how Black professional women often feel they have to work harder to assert their authourity in meetings, only to be interrupted, ignored or have their ideas appropriated. This not only stifles career progression but also has emotional and psychological costs, contributing to feelings of isolation and decreased workplace satisfaction.

When Black women’s voices are interrupted or dismissed, organisations lose critical insights shaped by lived experience, cultural competence and adaptive leadership, all key drivers of innovation in a global market.

In today’s climate, this challenge is further compounded by a growing hostility toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The political narratives fuelled by figures such as President Donald Trump, tech mogul Elon Musk and a wave of companies scaling back or abandoning DEI commitments, have emboldened environments where bias and exclusion are tolerated, if not justified.

The backlash against DEI has made corporate spaces even less inclusive, particularly for women of colour, whose access to leadership opportunities and safe spaces for dialogue has been further restricted. This hostile environment not only undermines decades of progress but reinforces a culture where the silencing and side-lining of underrepresented voices become normalised rather than challenged.

What Can Leaders, Entrepreneurs and Professionals Do?

1. Recognise the Pattern and Name It

Awareness is the first step toward change. Recognise when interruptions happen, whether you witness them or unintentionally commit them. Challenge the notion that interruption is just part of fast-paced dialogue or “robust debate.” Respectful conversation allows everyone to contribute without fear of being cut off. Create, use and structure agendas so everyone knows who is speaking, when and why?

2. Make Listening a Leadership Priority

True leadership isn’t just about having the floor, it’s about creating space for others to speak. Leaders should model attentive listening, actively encourage quieter voices and intervene when interruptions occur. Simple phrases like, “Let’s hear her out,” or “I’d like to finish this thought,” can reset the tone of a conversation.

3. Reclaim Interrupted Conversations

If you witness a colleague being interrupted, speak up. Redirect the conversation back to the original speaker. For example “I think [Name] was making a point, let’s circle back to that.” These small actions send a strong message that everyone’s voice is valued. Remind attendees that interruptions limit free thinking, innovative and creative conversations

4. Address Bropropriation and Mansplaining Head-On

If you see someone taking credit for a woman’s idea or speaking over her with explanations she didn’t ask for, call it out diplomatically. Leaders who normalise respectful correction set a standard for equity in dialogue. Remind them that 'you too thought it was a good idea when {Name} suggested this to me.'

5. Foster a Culture of Psychological Safety

Teams thrive when members feel safe to express ideas without fear of dismissal. Building psychological safety means encouraging open dialogue, celebrating diverse viewpoints and holding space for constructive feedback.

Reflection for Leaders and Professionals

Take a moment to reflect on your own meetings, boardrooms or professional spaces.

Have you noticed patterns of interruption or idea appropriation?
How do you personally respond when you see it happen?
What norms exist in your organisation around communication and respect?

Now, set an intention for your next meeting. Choose one action. Amplify a colleague’s idea, redirect the floor back to someone who was cut off or simply commit to listening without interruption.

The Power of Speaking Up, For Everyone

This conversation isn’t just about protecting women’s voices. It’s about creating environments where everyone, regardless of gender, background or role, feels heard and respected. Inclusive communication strengthens leadership, builds trust and drives results.

For leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs, the message is clear. The success of your team, your organisation and your leadership legacy depends on how well you listen and how fiercely you protect the voices of others.

What Next?

SistaTalk stands for empowerment, equity and the bold amplification of women’s voices in leadership, business and professional spaces. We invite you to share your experience, have you been interrupted, side-lined or had your ideas overlooked? How did you handle it? What have you done to ensure others are heard?

Share this post with someone in your network, a colleague, a leader, a peer, who values fair and respectful communication. Start a conversation in your circles about the power of protecting every voice in the room.

Success is not just about having a seat at the table. It’s about ensuring your voice and the voices of others, are heard, respected and recognised.

Like this post if it resonates with you. Share your reflections in the comments. Let’s commit to building spaces where every woman’s voice matters.