In a previous post that detailed Reddit users' opinions about the worst parts of being a woman in 2023, there was quite a lot of discussion in the comments, and many users expressed feelings of validation while reading through the post.
One BuzzFeed user commented:
I decided to round up comments left on the original post to add to the ever-growing list of the worst aspects of being a woman in 2023, to bring greater awareness to societal issues that women are currently facing. So, let's see what the BuzzFeed Community had to say:
1. "Being judged more harshly for any mental illness issues. My son and daughter both suffer from clinically diagnosed anxiety and depression. Everyone says my daughter is being dramatic, but dotes on my son."
2. "Women not being taken seriously about their abusive husbands or when they’re concerned with their husband’s state of mind. The amount of women who have been murdered because they want to leave a relationship is terrifying."
3. "Worrying about being attacked in a parking lot, especially at night, so you walk with your keys between your fingers, just in case!"
4. "Having the male body be the default for everything, including medication and crash dummies."
5. "The fact that women are expected to do so much more unpaid labor, both in the household and the workplace. When we ask why men can't do it, it's because they 'don't understand' or 'just don't think that way.' I was asked to organize the company holiday party, and I was the only woman in the room during that meeting. I wouldn't have been paid extra for it, so I declined."
6. "If you get pregnant young, everyone thinks you're the disgusting one and the father gets off totally free because he's not the pregnant one."
7. "At work this week, there was a feedback session where one of the women expressed that the female employees were constantly interrupted and talked over. One of the guys literally interrupted and talked over her to tell her it wasn’t happening."
8. "A man in a wheelchair is 'brave' and someone to admire. A woman in a wheelchair is someone to pity or ignore."
9. "I had a traumatic birth with my first child, and while I wanted a second eventually, it took a few years and therapy to be ready. The amount of people who thought I was overreacting was alarming. I almost died from an internal tear that caused massive hemorrhaging, and I blacked out from blood loss holding my newborn daughter. Even after that, people still said I was overreacting. It doesn't matter that it's 2023, you are still seen as a vessel for procreation if you're a woman. Your fears will be downplayed because what your body can do is deemed more important."
10. "I am still trying to wrap my head around how someone having 'daddy issues' (which is 100% a male parenting fail), became an insult to women who have had to endure relationships with bad fathers."
11. "If men had to give birth, they’d have found more effective pain relief, and the recovery period would be longer. Also, the after-effects of childbirth like prolapse, hernias, and all of the others would be dealt with rather than being told it’s 'cosmetic.'"
12. And finally, "What concerns me the most about this next election is that we are so close to losing whatever rights we have and the very little respect we do get. They want us to breed, but they don't care about us at all. They think that all we are here for is procreation and taking care of our partners."
Have you experienced any other unique difficulties as a woman in 2023? We want to hear about it in the comments.
Some comments may have been edited for length/clarity.