Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

This physician is done with being silent about women’s rights

Kellie Lease Stecher, MD
Physician
April 2, 2021
Share
Tweet
Share

When I was a 13-year-old freshman in high school, I joined the basketball team. I had always stood out, which I tried to convince myself was a great trait that made me unique and an individual.

However, when I played sports, I felt alive. I had a coach that year who was a nerdy middle-aged man. During long bus rides, he would call me to the front of the bus to sit with him. He would sit and rub my legs during the trips. The girls on the team said little, but one of my girlfriends would make fun of me for being the favorite.

As I got older, I started to become more involved in politics. At 17, I joined a club and raised money to go to Washington D.C. to learn about creating policy. I was able to walk the halls of the capitol and legislative buildings.

We took tours, talked to members of Congress, and learned about leadership challenges. During one of our meet-and-greets, we walked into this large office. I looked at the plaque on the door before walking in: a prominent U.S. senator. Our group took turns assembling for pictures, and I stood next to him for a quick photo. I felt his hand grab my waist tight to his body and then felt his hand grab my butt.

I was irritated that no one cared about what men did. I immediately checked myself in the mirror. Almost instinctively, I realized if I said anything, I wouldn’t be believed, and in fact, would be blamed. I was wearing business attire, my shirt buttoned to my neck, I wasn’t wearing makeup, and my hair was down. I was making an attempt to blend in with the crowd.

As the months went on, I continued to work on political campaigns and realized how malignant they could be for women. My mother was running for a state legislative seat, so we had to attend every event, fundraiser, and outing. We knocked on doors, we made calls, and we ran around with a smile on our faces so we didn’t reflect badly on her.

It wasn’t until I was sexually assaulted that I realized just how the political culture works. When I told my mother, she immediately minimized the experience and blamed me. There would be questions about why I was left alone or why I was in these situations. My sexual assault was never reported; I couldn’t reflect poorly on her political career.

Now, as a woman in her 30s, with a daughter of my own, I can see this all clearly. I am an OB-GYN, a women’s rights advocate and a fierce protector of justice for women. I have grown tired of the victim-blaming and the shame women carry after an assault or harassment. I am emotionally exhausted from the stories I hear from physicians around the country of how they were abused in their training programs.

I am devastated that people in power, in 2021, across this globe, can still assault, murder, and think they have no consequences. I am sad that Sarah Everard couldn’t walk home alone at 9:00 at night and was murdered by an officer. I am horrified that Brittany Higgins was assaulted, and there was a cover-up, and complicity that ran deep.

Women don’t know who they can trust. They have been betrayed by coaches, teachers, friends, mentors, police officers, military battle buddies, governors and parents. This is about power over women and a reminder that we have a long way to go to be considered equal.

Kellie Lease Stecher is an obstetrician-gynecologist, M Health Fairview Center for Women, Edina and Eden Prairie, MN, and co-founder and president, Patient Care Heroes. She can be reached on LinkedIn, Facebook, and on Medium @kellie.stecher.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The impact of COVID-19 on health conditions

April 2, 2021 Kevin 0
…
Next

Malpractice claims from the COVID-19 pandemic: more questions than answers

April 2, 2021 Kevin 0
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: OB/GYN

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The impact of COVID-19 on health conditions
Next Post >
Malpractice claims from the COVID-19 pandemic: more questions than answers

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Kellie Lease Stecher, MD

  • A love letter to the doctor I was

    Kellie Lease Stecher, MD
  • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

    Kellie Lease Stecher, MD
  • How medical careers are like argyle sweaters

    Kellie Lease Stecher, MD

Related Posts

  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Shift from fighting for reproductive rights to fighting for reproductive justice

    Ira Memaj, MPH
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • The black physician’s burden

    Naomi Tweyo Nkinsi
  • Protect the women who protect us

    Kellie Lease Stecher, MD

More in Physician

  • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Time theft: the unseen harm of abusive oversight

    Kayvan Haddadan, MD
  • Why more doctors are leaving clinical practice and how it helps health care

    Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
  • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • Why starting with why can transform your medical practice

    Neil Baum, MD
  • Life’s detours may be blessings in disguise

    Osmund Agbo, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

      Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD | Conditions
    • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • Time theft: the unseen harm of abusive oversight

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How one unforgettable ER patient taught a nurse about resilience

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • The future of clinical care: AI’s role in easing physician workload

      Michael Wakeman | Tech

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

      Ralph Messo, DO | Physician
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How declining MMR vaccination rates put future generations at risk

      Ambika Sharma, Onyi Oligbo, and Katrina Green, MD | Conditions
    • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • Time theft: the unseen harm of abusive oversight

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • How one unforgettable ER patient taught a nurse about resilience

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • The future of clinical care: AI’s role in easing physician workload

      Michael Wakeman | Tech

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

This physician is done with being silent about women’s rights
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...