Ditching the invisibility cloak

With an overwhelming number of women in midlife reporting they feel unseen and unheard, this 51-year-old is ready to make some noise.

- SHELLY HORTON

I'm about to drop a controversial opinion: Feeling invisible in your midlife is a choice.

Yep, I said it. And I know, right now, some of you might be reaching for your reading glasses and thinking, “Did she just say what I think she said?” Yes, you heard me. Now, before you start throwing your HRT patches at me, let me explain.

I’m in my early fifties and no one is going to make me feel invisible. It’s just not happening. So why are so many women my age feeling like they’ve been relegated to society’s “do not disturb” pile? I keep seeing articles, research and statistics telling me that women in their fifties feel ignored, unheard and unseen. Or maybe it’s like when you suddenly want a yellow Jeep, and then you start seeing yellow Jeeps everywhere. The chatter about women’s invisibility in their fifties is deafening and, frankly, it’s doing my head in.

A study by YouGov revealed that a staggering 47 per cent of Australian women aged 50 to 64 feel unseen and unheard. And you know what I say to that? Step it up, ladies! If you’re tired of watching blokes strut around like so-called silver foxes while you’re supposedly crumpling into irrelevance like a neglected party balloon, I’ve got news for you: It’s time to flip the bird.