Ciani-Sophia Hoeder

Bitchy, divas, scary: Women who give free rein to their anger are still considered hysterical, insane or unstable – while male anger is usually considered powerful. Girls are raised to be quietly kind rather than assertive.

Anger is an unloved emotion. But it is like an indicator, pointing out injustices, making us overcome hurdles and look for solutions. Acceptance confirms the status quo, anger points a way forward. For women especially, it’s time to make room for this feeling, for many reasons: Women endure harassment, often sexualized, are often disadvantaged in the workforce, and continue to struggle for equality in society.

There is an enormous power for transformation in female anger – and women must learn to accept and use it. Because ultimately, female anger is to thank for women’s suffrage, the Women’s March, MeToo or the #Aufschrei debate.

Ciani-Sophia Hoeder is founder and executive director of RosaMag, the first online lifestyle magazine for black women in Germany, and writes as a freelance journalist for, among others, the SZ magazine. She studied politics and journalism in Berlin and London; her topics are racism, being a Millennial and intersectional feminism. With the RosaMag she was nominated for the Grimme Online Award in 2020.