Most of the women being told to 'just be more visible' in 2026 were specifically trained, from early childhood, that being visible was dangerous.

Not in a dramatic, Handmaid's-Tale-chapter-opening kind of way.

In a quiet, persistent, accumulated way. A thousand micro-corrections over twenty, thirty, forty years that added up to one very clear instruction:

Be brilliant. And be palatable. At the same time. Without making it look like effort. And don't take up too much space while you're at it.

Be the smartest person in the room, but make sure the men in the room feel comfortable. Speak up, but not too loudly. Be confident, but not intimidating. Be ambitious, but not at the expense of being likeable. Be visible - but only in the ways that are approved, appropriate, and unlikely to cause anyone any inconvenience whatsoever.