Eyestorm
AMPLIFYING WOMEN’S VOICES TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE
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WOMEN'S VOICES
BY NINA KHOO
SENSITIVE LEADERSHIP COACH
Master NLP Coach, Creative Visionary and champion of women, Nina works with sensitive female leaders to fully understand and harness the power of their highly sensitive trait.
Witch Wounds, Generational Trauma and Statues Named John
Sitting, listening, the conversation flowing, backwards and forwards. Part of the group, hearing the words batted between the others, like a fast game of tennis. Except I’m on the side, observing. Wanting to take part but not quite finding the right moment to dive into the flow, or starting to say something only to be spoken over by someone with more confidence and a louder voice.
The classroom, family gatherings, boardroom meetings. The pattern repeats itself over and over again. The thoughts and opinions I have building up inside me like a pressure cooker. Having so much to say yet not feeling confident enough to take up space. The fear of being ridiculed, belittled, or worse still, ignored – remembering times when all these happened. Safer to stay silent.
‘Nina needs to speak up more in the classroom’ becomes a recurring comment on my school report.
Decades of suppressing my voice. Only sharing my thoughts when asked directly or in the few spaces I feel completely safe. Frustration mounting at the missed opportunities. Berating myself for not being braver.
The ‘Witch Wound’
When sharing this pattern in a group coaching session, someone identified it as a ‘Witch Wound’. The inherited, collective trauma rooted in the dark history of persecution where thousands of innocent people were imprisoned, tortured or executed simply for not fitting into the norms of the time. Manifesting generations later as a fear of being visible, speaking up and stepping into your full power.
You don’t need to look far to see evidence of the patriarchy, capitalism and religious tyranny that has suppressed women’s voices and denigrated their achievements throughout the ages:
Women were being burnt at the stake as witches, up until the late 17th century.
Statues named John
Their contributions to literature were erased, overshadowed or misattributed. Many women, like Mary Ann Evans choosing to write under the pseudonym George Elliot, adopted male names in order to be taken seriously.
Did you know that in the UK, there are more statues of men named John, and more statues of goats than there are of women who aren’t either fictional or members of the royal family?
We’re proud to have one of these rare statues outside our library in Winchester.
A statue of Licorecia, an English Jewish businesswoman who lived in the early C13th. Described as ‘the most important Jewish woman in medieval England’, she was a highly influential businesswoman, financing people across Southern England, including King Henry III.
Tragically, Licorecia was killed, and even though three men were indicted for her murder, none was convicted, and her murder remains unsolved.
The Witch Wound is a form of Generational Trauma, passed down generation after generation by traumatised individuals, impacting entire groups.
Systemic discrimination can perpetuate cycles of limited opportunities which in turn reinforce feelings of helplessness and alienation.
Is it any wonder so many women suffer from a fear of visibility and speaking up?
History has shown us that bad things can happen when we make ourselves visible. We can be murdered for being successful or burnt at the stake for being different. It’s so much safer staying invisible and silent.
Yet if we stay silent, nothing will change.
The endless cycles of patriarchy and violence against women will perpetuate, unchallenged. Our daughters and their daughters will continue to live in a World that favours their brothers.
Is this a World you want for them?
We’re fortunate to be alive in a time when women can – in many countries – make their views and opinions heard. The internet provides a powerful platform for us to share what we believe in, with relative safety.
So, when our Witch Wounds surface and our Generational Trauma threatens to keep us silent, we can ask ourselves this question:
“Is my desire to call out this great injustice bigger than my fear of being visible and vulnerable?”
And if the answer is ‘YES’! then speak out my friend, knowing you have many women behind you, ready to share their truths.
No need to watch from the sidelines anymore.
Ready to speak up? Here are some ways:
Join the EyeStorm Speaker Programme this Autumn to increase your confidence and take to the stage: https://eyestorm.org.uk/public-speaker-programme-for-women-2025/
If you’re a Highly Sensitive Woman, your fear of visibility & need to stay safe will be even stronger because of the way you’re wired physiologically. Learn how to manage this tendency and other common Highly Sensitive challenges in the Born to Lead Program – now available in an On Demand, instant access version:
https://www.ninakhoo.com/born-to-lead
To read the story of how Nina lost her voice and found it again, go here: