Halsey's powerful speech at Glamour's Women Of The Year event will give you chills

12 November 2018, 14:01

By Katie Louise Smith

Following her incredible speech at the Women's March in January, Halsey penned another striking poem about the "Inconvenient Woman" and it's powerful AF. Read the words to her original poem here.

Yesterday, Halsey delivered powerful and striking speech at the Glamour Women of the Year summit in New York (Nov 12) titled "Inconvenient Woman." The poem, written by Halsey herself, breaks down the double standards that women face in today's society - and it's an absolute must watch.

Whether you're familiar with Halsey or not, you'll have probably seen the video of her standing on stage in New York City at the Woman's March in January 2018 delivering an emotional and incredibly visceral speech called "A Story Like Mine". The poem, which detailed Halsey's own sexual abuse as well as the countless other woman who have bravely come forward to open up about it, was viewed by millions of people. If you haven't seen it, you can watch it below.

In her latest speech, Halsey touches upon the inequalities, societal pressures and double standards that women from all different backgrounds face every day. The point of the poem? Every quality that leads men to be labelled as "genius" are the same qualities that cause women to be labelled “an inconvenience.” She opens the speech by saying:

"Brutally honest, outspoken and fearless

Goes with their gut, never favors appearance'

Cause who has time for vanity with opponents to extinguish?

And don’t you think that hint of silver hairline is…distinguished?

In men? All these qualities, they make you a genius.

But if you’re a woman, you’re an inconvenience."

Halsey's Poem About Being an Inconvenient Woman | Glamour WOTY 2018

Throughout the speech, Halsey references some all too familiar situations that women have had to and continue to deal with. Whether it's women in the work place who find themselves losing out to men who aren't as qualified as they are, black women and other women of colour who are labelled "angry" when they speak up, women (including trans women) who can't or don't want children being called a "waste", women who battle with their own mental health and end up being ridiculed or called a failure...

Halsey ends the powerful speech by asking women to live their truths and "be inconvenient," regardless of what society might think of them.

"Aren’t all these women just so inconvenient?

Ever since the march I’ve been asked to write poems

But irony proves to be just ever-growin’

I’m asked to address how to be "inconvenient"

But before I can speak, first they want me to screen it.

They’re scared that I’ll freak out and do something wild!

But censorship really just isn’t my style.

Some even suggested that they write the speech

But how could they say that they do what they preach?

With all due respect to these media teams,I don’t get on a stage and not say what I mean.

So, sorry to Glamour for cursing too often

But I’ve never really been the type that would soften.

A message I’m passionate about in my bones

So, if you’re offended, and viewing at home:

I’m here to say that I’m not sorry

For being…inconvenient.

You were not put on this earth to make everybody else’s life easier.

So please, be inconvenient."

Read Halsey's full poem here.