Women On What Sucks The Most About Being Women

Yesterday on AskReddit, a redditor asked a simple, but wide ranging question: “What's something that sucks about being a woman?” More than 2,800 comments later, the answer is clear: A lot of stuff. Throughout the thread, Redditors complain about issues ranging from relatively minor, yet maddening inconveniences — ahem, TINY USELESS POCKETS — to much bigger issues, like sexism in the workplace and sexual violence. It’s not a thread that’ll make you say, “YAY WOMANHOOD,” but you may find it helpful to see that other women share your own frustrations. If nothing else, it’s cathartic — because, although being a woman is amazing in many ways, sometimes it’s also just annoying AF.

This Reddit thread should come with the disclaimers that (1) Not all women have the same experiences, so the things that bug one person might not even be on another person’s radar, and (2) There are plenty of awesome aspects of being female. But it’s possible to appreciate all of the cool experiences womanhood affords you, while also enjoying a good, long, intense rant about all of the parts that suck.

Scrolling through the thread’s many, many comments, I found that most of these complaints fall in two distinct categories: (1) Annoying things about being a woman that arise from within, thanks to biology — like having a period that randomly shows up again after you thought it was over — and (2) things that society — and centuries of systemic sexism — impose upon women, such as assumptions that they are less capable than men in certain contexts. There’s not much that can be done about the former, but the latter is something that can change. And the first step on the long, complex, difficult road to progress is for women to stand up and say, “This is not OK.”

These are a few of the things that suck about being a woman, according to Reddit:

1. "The Second Coming."

We’ve all been there. THANKS, BODIES.

2. How can bras cost SO much?

3. Exercising and having boobs at the same time.

The struggle is real.

4. Teeny tiny useless pockets.

What is even the point?

5. The Pink Tax.

It's a real thing.

6. "You must be on your period."

This is the WORST.

7. Catcalling.

It's not a compliment, and it's not OK.

8. Sexual violence and the fear of sexual violence.

This is an awful reality that women face every day.

9. Appearance dictates value.

Beauty should not equal worth.

10. That whole sexism thing.

This is as common as it is maddening.

11. Not always having peers and mentors available.

Representation matters. As this redditor points out, being able to see people like yourself living and succeeding in fields previously closed to them can make a major difference in the possibilities that you see for yourself.