When I was asked to write the letter from the editor for Issue 8, I started thinking about what celebrating women means to me. My mind went straight to the strong female characters that influenced me throughout my life, starting with my mother. 

Growing up in Norway, ranked third in the world in gender equality by the World Economic Forum, I am used to working under female leadership. After moving to study abroad, I realized that this is a luxury not experienced globally. In the same ranking, the U.S. comes in at number 27. 

Being a woman in leadership can be tough. Not only do you have to do the same job as your male counterparts, but you have to think about how you are being
perceived in the process. I got my first taste of this after taking over as copy chief here at the Daily Sundial. 

Courtesy of my “resting bitch face” and foreign accent, I am often perceived as strict and direct. When I host meetings and give important feedback, I tend to resort to comments such as: “I don’t mean to bitch about this.” Never have I ever heard a man in my position say something like that. 

As women in leadership, we should not feel the need to excuse our authority.
Instead, we should focus on doing our job to the best of our ability, with no apologies.  

Join us at the Daily Sundial in celebrating women throughout this issue. To all the strong, bitchy women reading this: Happy Women’s History Month!