Jane Anger Program Prologue

“Was there ever any so abused, so slaundered, so railed upon, or so wickedly handeled undeservedly, as are we women?” -Jane Anger, Her Protection for Women

“Women should be seen, not heard.”
“A woman’s place is in the home.”
“You should smile more.”
“You [insert just about any activity] like a girl.”

So many axioms, so little truth. We daresay that most women reading this very sentence right now have likely heard these toxic “truisms” at some point in their own lives. When women are confident in the workplace, they are often branded as arrogant. When women ask for equal pay, they are often branded as greedy. When women lead with kindness and grace, they are considered weak.

Women like Jane Anger break the mold; they speak up and rip off their bodice cages in the face of societal repercussions for the greater good of their sex. Jane wrote in 1589 about the need for women to be protected from men who felt ownership of their bodies (something all too relevant, even in 2022). She also challenges the assumption that women are incapable of success within “men’s spheres” like the printed word. Jane speaks in a voice filled with anger, with pride, and with fire—ultimately making way for the women of today to continue in her legacy.