--- title: Best Way to Help Women Survivors Be Heard? Elect More Women description: The juxtaposition of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s and Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s demeanor was stark. canonical: https://time.com/5416627/help-survivors-elect-more-women/ author: Christine Todd Whitman article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-10-05T15:21:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T11:46:00.697Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Best Way to Help Women Survivors Be Heard? Elect More Women og:description: "What happens when women’s speech is constricted is that, in turn, we are surprised when women speak up," writes Christine Todd Whitman og:url: https://time.com/5416627/help-survivors-elect-more-women/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c449a9046774827/69893bf3db29870bd4260deb/christine-blasey-ford-hearing-more-women.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5872 og:image:height: 3303 og:image:alt: christine-blasey-ford-hearing-more-women og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Best Way to Help Women Survivors Be Heard? Elect More Women twitter:description: "What happens when women’s speech is constricted is that, in turn, we are surprised when women speak up," writes Christine Todd Whitman twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c449a9046774827/69893bf3db29870bd4260deb/christine-blasey-ford-hearing-more-women.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Best Way to Help Women Survivors Be Heard? Elect More Women > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=59b80446-7453-403d-98db-1dc3ce7f2c63&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) by [Christine Todd Whitman](https://time.com/author/christine-todd-whitman/) ## Christine Todd Whitman Oct 5, 2018 3:21 PM UTC  Christine Blasey Ford speaks before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. Christine Blasey Ford speaks before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. Pool—Getty Images by [Christine Todd Whitman](https://time.com/author/christine-todd-whitman/) ## Christine Todd Whitman Oct 5, 2018 3:21 PM UTC The juxtaposition of[ Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s ](http://time.com/5414486/christine-blasey-ford-time-cover/)and Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s demeanor was stark. Despite the stress, nerves and emotions that come with detailing her alleged assault publicly, Ford maintained a pleasant disposition, spoke steadily and was deferential. In [Kavanaugh’s](http://time.com/5409283/brett-kavanaugh-opening-statement/) opening statement, the polite nature he had displayed in the hearings weeks prior was gone. He was forceful, irreverent and loud; he stood up for himself. While Kavanaugh’s critics have said his [behavior](http://time.com/5407877/republicans-salvaging-brett-kavanaugh-nomination/) revealed a temperament unfit for the Supreme Court, it more importantly demonstrated the double standard for how men and women communicate. Had Ford spoken with the same tone and flippancy as Kavanaugh, she would have surely been [described ](http://time.com/5415027/christine-blasey-ford-testimony/)as unstable or combative. Women who hold [elective](http://time.com/5323592/2018-elections-women-history-records/) office face these challenges daily. They often don’t speak out as forcefully as their male colleagues. They temper their remarks to be taken seriously. They navigate the assumption that emotional language isn’t constructive, that it undermines the point being made, that it is a “distraction.” I remember the first challenge I experienced myself was when, as a freshman Freeholder, I was given the assignment of locating and supervising the construction of a courthouse. At the first meeting with the union leaders on the job, it was clear that they were very skeptical of reporting to a thirty-something [woman](http://time.com/5416105/kavanaugh-protest/). What I told them was that, while I didn’t know anything about construction, I did know what the judiciary required, and we would have to work together. I also mentioned that I would sign off on the checks. We brought the building in on time and under budget. I decided early on in my career that, when I was critiqued for what I wore or how I did my hair, it was their [problem](http://time.com/5407949/american-men-women-equal/). I was not going to change my sex, so I just had to keep focused on what I wanted to achieve and not be thrown off by snide remarks. But what happens when women’s speech is constricted is that, in turn, we are surprised when [women speak up](http://time.com/5416077/colorado-grocery-store-viral-video-harassment/), because we aren’t used to hearing them. This is not how our country should work. We should increase the number of strong women in [leadership](http://time.com/5415041/what-changed-for-women/) roles, both in politics and business. Doing so would help normalize their voices—and empower people who will listen to victims of sexual assault, hopefully encouraging them to feel safer in sharing their stories. This would lead to actual justice for victims and due process for the accused. In just about [one year](http://time.com/5328315/harvey-weinstein-indictment-new-charges/), our country has profoundly changed the way we address victims of sexual abuse, harassment, assault and their abusers. But Ford and Kavanaugh showed how far we still have to go. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5416627/help-survivors-elect-more-women/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5416627/help-survivors-elect-more-women/"},"headline":"The Best Way to Help Women Survivors Be Heard? 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