Hecate
It’s time to get angry about women’s rights
In ancient Greek mythology, Hecate is a powerful figure revered as the goddess of magic, witchcraft, crossroads, and the unseen forces of life. She is often depicted as a protector of the oppressed, standing at the margins of society, challenging established norms and navigating the liminal spaces between power and resistance.
I felt that Hecate’s image as a fierce and independent deity makes her a fitting symbol of the anger I feel about systemic inequality, oppression, and the societal undervaluing of women’s experiences and contributions. I’m often surprised that we aren’t all furious about how women are treated here and around the world, yet when I first shared this design someone asked me “why so angry?”
So, let’s talk facts:
1 in 3 women globally will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most often by someone they know. In the U.S., nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner. That’s 10 million people a year.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, at least 14 states have banned most or all abortions, leaving millions without access to essential healthcare. This isn’t just a political issue—it’s a public health crisis. Women are already dying because they can’t get the care they need.
The work that is done primarily by women is undervalued: Teachers, nurses, social workers, and caregivers—those who literally keep our society functioning—are some of the lowest-paid professions. Meanwhile, billionaires pay less in taxes than most of us and entertainment industries flourish with obscene profits. Add to that the gender wage gap, which has barely budged in decades—women in the U.S. still make around 82 cents for every dollar earned by men.
Women worldwide do nearly 2.5 times more unpaid work than men, from raising children to caring for elderly relatives. That’s labor that props up economies but is rarely valued or recognized.
Women are more likely to have their pain dismissed or misdiagnosed, and conditions like endometriosis take an average of 8 years to diagnose. This systemic mysogeny costs women their health and even their lives.
Many people are unaware of how recently many of the rights women now take for granted were won. Women couldn’t even open a bank account without a husband’s permission in the U.S. until 1974. That’s less than 50 years ago. It wasn’t until 1993 that marital rape became explicitly illegal in all 50 states. Before the 1970’s custody battles in divorce cases almost always favored fathers, regardless of the mother’s role in caregiving. Women had to fight for recognition as equal or primary caregivers. Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in federally funded education programs, wasn’t passed until 1972. Before that, women were often denied entry to certain schools or academic programs. Progress has been slow, and the current political climate threatens to take us backwards, fast.
Countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Pakistan, and India have had women in their highest offices of power, yet the U.S. has so far rejected the very premise of a female head of state. For far too many, electing a woman to lead this country is some radical, impossible idea, despite many other nations having done so—and thrived. In the most recent U.S. election, many women voted against policies that would protect their rights and futures, and against placing trust in a competent, kind, and qualified female leader. It takes a dedicated campaign of undermining women’s sense of power and agency to make that possible.
So, when people ask me “Why so angry?” I can only wonder… “Why aren’t you?”, because we should all be very, very angry.