Invisible Women
To honor Women's History Month, I'd like to share some of the impactful books I've read by women authors, which have expanded my understanding of the ongoing struggles that women, and other marginalized individuals, face in their pursuit of equality and opportunity.
In this article, I'll discuss 'Invisible Women' by Caroline Criado Perez."
Invisible Women, is a thought-provoking and powerful examination of how women are marginalized and underserved in various fields due to a lack of consideration for their needs and experiences. It explores the gender data gap and how it impacts understanding of women's issues and decision making in a variety of areas including the way we build our communities and women's health. It also discusses the intersectionality of the gender data gap with other forms of discrimination and offers detailed examples of how gender bias affects women.
The Gender Data Gap
The gender data gap refers to the lack of data collected on women and girls in many areas, including healthcare, transportation, and the economy. This gap in data leads to a lack of understanding of women's needs and experiences, which can result in policies and products that don't work for them.
One area where the gender data gap has significant consequences is in medical research. Women are often excluded from clinical trials or are underrepresented, leading to a lack of knowledge about how drugs and treatments will affect them. For example, the medication dosage for heart disease is often based on studies conducted on men, even though heart disease is a leading cause of death for women in many countries. This can lead to misdiagnosis, incorrect treatments and death.
In the transportation sector, data on women's mobility patterns is often lacking, which can lead to transportation systems that don't work well for women. Women are more likely to have caretaking responsibilities and may need to carry strollers or other bulky items while using public transport, yet transportation systems are often designed without considering women's needs. This can make it more difficult for women to access transportation for work, healthcare, and other essential services.
The gender data gap also affects economic policies and decisions. Women are more likely to work part-time or in low-wage jobs, but this information is often not reflected in economic data. This can lead to policies that overlook both the vital contributions of women to the workforce and the needs of women in the workforce and can exacerbate the gender pay gap.
Built Environment
The built environment, including urban planning and architecture, is another key area where gender bias affects women's lives. Cities and buildings are often designed with men in mind, leading to a lack of consideration for women's safety, comfort, and mobility.
For example, public spaces are often poorly lit, which can make women feel unsafe and make them vulnerable to attack. Women are more likely to experience harassment or assault in public transportation systems, yet these considerations are often overlooked when planning and building public transport. These issues can have a significant impact on women's quality of life and ability to move freely in public spaces.
Women's Health
The gender data gap and biased design can seriously affect women's health. Medical research that underrepresents women leads to a lack of understanding of how drugs and treatments will affect women.
Similarly, women's pain is often dismissed or undertreated in healthcare settings. This may be due in part to a lack of research on women's pain and a tendency to view women's pain as "emotional" rather than physical. Women are also more likely to experience chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, but these conditions are often poorly understood and treated in healthcare settings.
The gender data gap also affects women's mental health. For example, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with soldiers, but women are also impacted due to traumatic events such as sexual assault or domestic violence. This information is often not reflected in research or treatment approaches, leading to a lack of understanding and appropriate treatment for women with PTSD.
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Intersectionality
Gender bias intersects with other forms of discrimination, such as race and class. Women who are members of marginalized groups may face additional barriers and challenges that compound the effects of gender bias. For example, women of color are more likely to live in neighborhoods that lack access to quality healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. This can further exacerbate the effects of the gender data gap and biased design, leading to significant health and economic disparities.
There are numerous examples of how intersectionality affects women's lives. For example, low-income women of color were disproportionately affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. They were less likely to have the resources to evacuate, less likely to have access to medical care, and more likely to experience violence and exploitation in the chaotic aftermath of the storm.
Notable Quotes:
The world is designed for men. Not because it is sexist, but because men have been the default humans. And that design has been optimized for men’s bodies and preferences. It’s a huge problem.
The consequences of this data gap are enormous, and they affect women everywhere: in the workplace, in the home, and in public life. It is impossible to solve problems that you cannot see or measure—and it is impossible to measure what you do not bother to look for.
The male body is seen as the neutral body, and women are seen as the 'other,' a variation on the male. But the truth is that women are not men. Women have different bodies, with different needs and preferences.
We need more women in decision-making positions, in every field. We need more women in leadership roles, more women running companies, more women in government. Because when women are at the table, the discussion is different.
The assumption that the male experience is universal, and the female experience is a subset of that, is at the root of much of the gender bias we see in the world. It is time to challenge this assumption, and to design a world that works for everyone.