This book spoke to me because I often tripped myself up, veering between speaking up too forcefully and not speaking up at all. I’d go so far as to say that in some ways the book helped me to become editor of Cosmo three years later. Linda Kelsey for The Daily Mail
Dickson argues that awareness and action are not the same thing. “It is easier to recognise inequality, to be aware of it, than it is to know how to change our behaviour,” she tells me. “We simply don’t know how to alter our speech or approach, so again the skills in this book are essential for personal change.” Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett in The Guardian
Psychologist and author Anne Dickson has spent over four decades teaching the art of assertive communication. Her first book, A Woman in your own Right was published in 1982. She spoke to Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4 about why assertive communication is important and shared her tips on how you can master it. Listen here to my full interview on Woman’s Hour. Read the article here.
The conditioning of the past is still deeply embedded in women’s psyches, which means that simply having more equal opportunities doesn’t always translate into the ability to grasp them. A Woman In Your Own Right – Mslexia
Today has been designated International Women’s Day and for the past week, there have been stories popping up in the media here, in the UK, as women from different walks of life, nationalities, centuries and accomplishment are celebrated for their achievements – usually belatedly and often posthumously. I applaud the celebration but at the same time, I have been wondering why it is necessary to have one special day to consider the contribution of women to this planet.