Life
Anyone who has been catcalled on their way to work or fended off a Spanish Inquisition of grandparents interested in when, exactly, you're going to start a family knows that list of things that make being a woman frustrating is endless. Welcome to the patriarchy, folks, where every woman has to deal with a mountain range of nonsense that the other half of the population breezes past without a thought.
This isn't exactly breaking news, but as a Reddit thread recently pointed out, 2017 has come with its own set of unique problems for women. As you may have noticed, the political climate has taken a sharp turn for the conservative. In addition to the much-publicized attacks on Planned Parenthood's funding, Congress is on a single-minded mission to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and many of the proposed replacements would disproportionately impact women's health. Meanwhile, the Oval Office is currently occupied by a man who has demonstrated a complete and utter lack of respect for women.
But these are all broad examples — they don't touch on the subtle, everyday ways it's so frustrating to be a woman today. That's where the recent Reddit post comes in. On Tuesday, a Reddit user posted on r/AskWomen, asking their fellow Redditors to vent about all the things they find "completely frustrating and unbelievable about being a woman in 2017." As it turns out, there is quite a bit to be frustrated about. Within one day, the post received more than 1,000 comments, with women commiserating about everything from catcalling to birth control access (or the lack thereof).
You can check out the post for yourself on r/AskWomen, but the highlights are below.
1
Clueless Catcallers
Street harassment was all anyone could talk about in 2014, but three years later, it's still a common part of life for most women. According to the anti-catcalling organization Stop Street Harassment, between 65 and 99 percent of women reported being catcalled. One poll found that 23 percent of women had been sexually touched, and 20 percent had been followed.
All this is frustrating enough on its own, but as this comment points out, one of the most infuriating parts of street harassment is the disconnect between reality and the fantasy world occupied by men who think their advances are welcome.
2
Catcalling Is No Compliment
Many users commented to say that when they tried to explain why catcalling is a problem, their concerns were waved away. Sometimes, people even refuse to believe that the woman had "deserved" street harassment.
3
Eye Contact Isn't An Invitation
This just in: Eye contact doesn't automatically signify flirting. Unfortunately, it's usually misconstrued as exactly that, and suddenly, you're 30 minutes into an unwanted conversation from which you can't extricate yourself. Men rarely seem to have this problem.
4
The Entire Concept Of The Friendzone
Often, whenever a woman pays attention to a man, it's assumed to be sexual interest. Everyday Feminism perfectly summed up the major problem with the concept of the friendzone: "Ultimately, the idea of the ‘friendzone’ upholds the idea that men deserve women, which objectifies women. Additionally, it shames women for making their own decisions regarding their sexual and romantic relationships."
6
Division Of Labor
This user is describing the division of labor by gender, which hasn't changed much over the years. Even after the popularization of feminism, women are still expected to take care of household chores — they're just expected to take on other chores as well.
7
The Hive Mind
No single woman can speak for the billions of other women on this planet. There's no secret to unlocking the female psyche.
8
Blaming All Women
When a man makes a mistake, it's seen as a learning opportunity. When a woman messes up, it's attributed to her gender.
9
Shaving Everything
Women are conditioned from early childhood to think they're supposed to be as hairless as they were before puberty. If that floats your boat, fine! But that doesn't mean it's required.
10
Birth Control Doesn't Equate To Abortion
Misinformation is the name of the game when it comes to women's sexual health, especially in regards to abortion and birth control. Birth control is a way to prevent babies — that's all.
11
Women's Health Is Their Own Business
Speaking of birth control and abortion, what a woman does with her body is up to herself and her medical provider. If only someone would inform Congressmen of this.
12
Double Standards
The same double standards hold true today as in the '70s. Sometimes it feels like women just can't win.
14
Judging Birth Control
On top of contraception, birth control can be taken for acne, ovarian cysts, and a variety of other health problems. Why are we judging anyone for taking it?
16
Just About Sums It Up
As if this comment was perfect enough, she concludes with a plea for more clothes to have pockets. #LadyPockets2018, anyone?
