Invisible Women

Such a fantastic book uncovering how women are often not included in so many studies pertaining to work, the building of smartphones, health diagnoses, car safety measures, etc.

Additional notes:

-women are more likely to travel encumbered (with strollers, for instance) on foot and take public transportation and get more affected by inadequate walkways (I can attest to how there are hardly any elevators in NY subway stations, for instance)
-women always get blamed for long bathroom lines, but those going in are often more likely to be elderly or disabled, with children, and need more time due to, say, reduced bladder capacity.
-last minute “just-in-time scheduling” is not feasible, especially for women, who are often told their ever changing work schedules last minute

Notable lines:

“This fear impacts on women’s mobility and their basic right of access to the city.”

“Female carers also tend to receive less support than male carers so they end up feeling more isolated and being more likely to suffer from depression – in itself a risk factor for dementia.”

“Women end up working in jobs below their skill level that offer them the flexibility they need – but not the pay they deserve.”

“Less effective male professors routinely receive higher student evaluations than more effective female teachers . . . female professors are penalized if they aren’t deemed sufficiently warm and accessible. But if they are warm and accessible they can be penalized for not appearing authoritative or professional. On the other hand, appearing authoritative and knowledgeable as a woman can result in student disapproval, because this violates gendered expectations.”

“Instead of believing women when they say they’re in pain, we tend to label them as mad.”

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