Why are women still often not properly listened to? Why are they sometimes perceived to be less interesting than they are? Why do women tend to rush when they speak? Why do many women feel the pressure to sound like girls when they speak? From one of the world''s leading experts on voice work comes this book, which is a call to arms for women to reclaim their voices. Arguing that power and voices are directly linked to breath, Rodenburg makes the case that Western society''s oppression of women has diminished their natural ability to breathe. She examines all of these questions, and many more, to decipher what lies at the heart of female empowerment when it comes to the voice. Combining elements of experience and practice from her prolific career, Rodenburg interrogates Shakespeare''s texts and presentation of female characters; develops the notion of rhetoric in relation to the female voice; and applies concepts explored in her previous books, such as the three circles of presence. Exploring the female voice through practical exercises and stories from the front line, as well as profoundly personal and formative experiences from her own life, Rodenburg defines the art of accessing the voice within and reclaiming the woman''s right to speak.