‘Yes, all the time, when I look at positions of power, I do not see as many women as there should be which can be discouraging as I feel underrepresented. I am always underestimated, simply for being a woman which I find really frustrating. There are a lot of things I think about that I know most men don’t, a lot of the time in public I don’t feel safe because I am a woman for example, I have to think about how to keep myself safe, and I find it heart-breaking when I turn on the news or go on to social media to see another report about a woman missing, or worse.’
‘All the time. People think that woman are more vulnerable, and this makes them underestimate us, this is sometimes a good thing as you can prove people wrong, but you shouldn’t have to prove yourself to others just because of the gender stereotypes that are placed on women. I can be strong and nurturing at the same time!’
‘Being a woman puts me at a disadvantage because we are not taken seriously in a world dominated by men. Not only that, but because I am a BLACK woman, I face a lot of racism and colourism. In comparison to other races, it will take many trials and triumphs for me to achieve anything.’
‘Yes society has led to us feeling fearful of certain situations for example I can’t just go for a jog at any time I like, I worry about walking late at night on my own, on nights out or during the day I’ve had strangers (men) say inappropriate things to me which make[s] me feel uncomfortable but I’ve been brought up to not be confrontational or to fear what will happen if I stand up for what I’m feeling in these situations. Women have to deal with certain biological process that effect how you feel (periods) physically and emotionally. I do not feel at disadvantage being a women in my professional life as I feel equal to that of men in the work place.’
‘Sometimes it can be difficult to find your voice when you are set in an environment that is predominantly male oriented. I also sometimes find myself more scared in certain situations as I might not be physically or emotionally strong enough to help other or myself.’
‘Yes, career wise and in society in general. Feel less of a voice being a woman. Felt overlooked and put down upon as a mother and later, faced prejudice around the difficulties of menopause. I was made to feel stupid and ‘past it’, when really I was suffering menopausal symptoms and had no consideration or understanding from my employer. I constantly feel that my voice is just ‘white noise’.
‘Yes, I still do, when it comes to driving, even doing chores around the house that “are not for women”, like changing a bulb or use a screwdriver.’
‘Physically, I am weaker than the men around me, I am more emotional than the men around me, as a woman I have to go through menstruation and I have to always do my make up and hair nice so people do not think I have “let myself go”. [T]here is also more pressure on women to have children, which is somewhat to do with the fact we have limited time to conceive but a lot to do with a kind of social standard and expectation of women.’
‘Generally, no I don’t in my life today.’
‘Sometimes I can feel at a disadvantage being a woman/feel inferior to men when it comes to doing certain jobs etc. which I believe is mainly due to the patriarchy. However, there are also other times where I don’t feel like this, for example when I’m expressing myself creatively – it really depends on the situation for me.’
‘Yes, in the home.’
‘No.’
‘Sometimes I can feel taken less seriously of, even dumb. I feel like my appearance has taken a toll on me. Looking on social media, it has really played a big part in the beauty standards we have. When I look at those with more conventionally attractive faces and who have privileges, that can make me feel a bit insecure with myself and question my femininity.’
‘No I don’t think I have felt disadvantaged so far in my life.’
‘Yes, being a woman in STEM it is clear that I am starting two steps behind the men. Leadership roles are male dominated so I do not have role models that look like me.’
‘Yes.’
‘A lot of time actually. Especially at university because most of my friends are male and they study a male dominated field while I study at a more female dominated field, so it gets made fun of a lot.’
‘Yes.’
‘Yes.’
‘[Y]es, especially in society overall. [I]t’s easy to judge a woman just based on simply how they look or behave. opportunities like schooling or jobs might be missed for a women because they’re not deemed ‘fitted’ for the role. [S]ocial media also paints a very subjective view on women.’
‘100%! There’s certain things I can’t do as a women because it puts my life in danger, such as walk after dark, walking anywhere on my own. Recently in the work place understanding a certain man’s view that he would rather hire a man over a women because she is more than likely to take maternity leave for a year unlike a man would.’
‘[S]ometimes.’
‘Yes.’
‘Yes, because I often feel that people treat me differently being a woman. I have less rights than men e.g unequal pay. Sometimes as a woman you have to act a certain way to gain the respect of men/others in the workplace and society.’
‘Of course, in a male dominated society, with the gender pay gap still at play, it’s inevitable I would feel disadvantaged, especially as a woman of colour. Yes, there is surely a feeling of fear, fear of the unknown and a fear of people not making us feel safe in this space. There are men who make women feel unsafe when they’re being themselves and everyone has the right to feel comfortable to wear what they want to but also feel safe being themselves at any hour of the night.’
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