“No one notices you. You achieve wonderful freedom. It is a positive thing. You can move about, unnoticed and invisible.”  Doris Lessing

 

As women age, they feel increasingly unseen and marginalized by younger people, it becomes more difficult to be employed, promoted or valued.  The period of perimenopause around the age of 50 brings with it significant physical changes as sex hormone levels change.  Culturally a period of change too, typically less responsibility for children but increased responsibility for ageing parents, still a career to manage, retirement still way off.  Whilst we live in a hyper-visual culture, it's up to us whether we chose to participate.  Gradually older women are gaining ground and have a higher profile and visibility.   Whilst friends say it’s nice not to have to worry so much about their appearance or what people say. We are faced with glamorous age 50+ influencers on social media reaching out to sell more stuff to this reasonable affluent age group. Women must fight hard not to be overlooked and patronized. However, we can worry less about our egos and focus on the more important things in life.