A Woman's Struggles Today

Last week on 21 March 2019 the daily glow team had a discussion regarding the types of problems women have in the modern day society. So many issues arose and this was probably the longest discussion we have ever had as a team as new points regarding the matter kept on being brought up. To be fair there was no dispute over all these as we realized that the issues brought up by our female members were incredibly true and affected large numbers of women worldwide. To further confirm the accuracy of this discussion we had 50 women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds give us their view on the matter. The findings incredibly accurate as these women have faced 5 or more of the issues discussed. Here are the issues discussed on that day.

Stereotypes of supposed “Women” Characteristics as perceived by society. 

• Having to be “nice” and “kind” always
• Been told that they are too “blunt” or “aggressive.” These are/can be positive male traits
• Been socialized to constantly apologize
• Criticized for being demanding
• Been told that when they were just being a pleasant person they were judged as “flirting”
• Been called “hostile” for standing up for themselves
• Been told they can’t do things because they are women
• Been told they are bossy
• Not being seen as financially independent
• People surprised at ambition/drive for success

Violence and Abuse

• Machismo (strong or aggressive male pride) leading to the assault of young kids
• High rates of sexual assault
• Abuse, rape, trauma, untreated trauma
• Sexual abuse/degradation
• Rape culture
• Human trafficking
• Having to be constantly aware of your surroundings

Wage gap

• Unequal pay for the same job

Ignorance

• People not hearing their opinions
• People discounting their opinions
• Lack of respect

Reproductive health

• Sex issues

Motherhood

• Criticism for working outside the home and being “career-minded”

• Criticism on the right way to be a mother
• Not appreciating mothers and all they do
• Different perspectives on motherhood based on where you live
• Being a stay-at-home mom and people not taking the job seriously
• People not being understanding of mothers

Workplace

• Being the only females in a male-dominated industry and not being taken seriously
• The Glass ceiling effect
• Been faced with a lack of respect as business professionals
• Been offered promotions and then getting passed over when they found out they were pregnant
• Been turned down for a job because of being in supposed childbearing age and may quit once they have children.
• Questioned even if they have a Phd or Md

Body image/ objectification

• Criticized for being overweight
• People staring and being objectified
• Men creating a lack of personal space to them not understanding why they are uncomfortable
• Too much emphasis on looks
• Judgement of appearance

At school

• Having to either sit back while teachers side with sexism or get attacked by the majority of the class for arguing about women’s issues
• Being blamed for things like campus assault for what they wear

Other (that cover a multitude of categories)

• Lack of role models (especially minorities)
• Mansplaining- when men are condescending when explaining an understood concept
• Stigma against women’s health (periods/boobs, etc.)
• Kids vs. career
• Name calling

These issues affect many women. Some are applicable to specific groups of women and others apply to specific groups. In addition, it was realized that most of the women facing the largest number of stated issues were from very cultural or religious backgrounds. If you are a woman and have faced some of these issues or any not mentioned in this blog post please share your experiences in the comment section below.