"Beneath the rule of men entirely great, the pen is mightier than the sword." Bulwer-Lytton recognized this strength years ago, and its truth continues to ring true in the works of authors: Tzvetan Todorov, Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Rigoberta Menchu, and Deborah Tannen. Language is a centuries-old weapon wielded in the struggle against misogynistic societies due to its ability to empower traditionally marginalized women; such as, la Malinche and Rigoberta Menchu. Although these inspirational women made tremendous impacts on their worlds, the battle goes on, as gender differences in conversational styles continue to play a role in women's ability to "break the glass ceiling" in the new millennium. This paper follows some of the paths carved by these women pioneers, whose knowledge and use of language, paved the way in providing a voice for women in higher education today, as well as, explores the persistent inequality that results from gender miscommunication.