International Women's Day

DRAFT

This is complete, but it still needs some revision and polishing... 

I'm trying not to make this too much of a downer, but our prevailing cultures, even in the best cases, are incredibly hostile toward women. Everywhere, they are an underclass. The extent to which this harms women varies, but it harms women everywhere. 

I went to confirm the date for International Women’s Day on my calendar and discovered it had been erased.

Google Calendar scrubbed it. It appears to be a consequence of the Project 2025 inspired dismantling of DEI. That was the rabbit hole moment. Because when a culture starts erasing its recognition of women altogether, you know the situation isn’t just bad—it’s accelerating into something worse.

Let’s take stock.

• Women in the U.S. no longer have full control over their own bodies.
• Legislation is actively moving toward removing women’s right to vote.
• The baseline for how women are treated isn’t just already terrible—it’s getting more oppressive in real time.

Continuum of Discrimination and Burden (1–10 Scale)

This 10-point continuum organizes the wide range of burdens from annoyances and systemic biases to brutal, life-threatening violence.

✔️ Levels 1-3 deal with persistent daily burdens that accumulate over a lifetime.
✔️ Levels 4-6 reflect structural and economic inequality that holds women back.
✔️ Levels 7-8 highlight violations of bodily autonomy and failures of legal protection.
✔️ Levels 9-10 describe horrific violence, including sex trafficking and femicide.

1 – Daily Annoyances & Microaggressions

✔️ Gendered Language & Bias – Women being described as "bossy" instead of "assertive" and "shrill" instead of "confident."
✔️ Unrealistic Beauty Standards – Women face constant pressure to look young, thin, and polished.

2 – Systemic Inconveniences & Extra Costs

✔️ "Pink Tax" – Women’s products cost more than men’s for no reason.
✔️ Appearance-Based Discrimination at Work – Women spend more time and money on professional grooming just to be taken seriously.

3 – Emotional and Mental Burdens

✔️ Parental Burnout & The “Second Shift” – Even working full-time, women are still expected to handle the majority of household and childcare responsibilities.
✔️ Emotional Labor & Code-Switching – Women modify their behavior to avoid negative reactions from men, de-escalate conflicts, and manage others’ emotions.

4 – Workplace Discrimination & Economic Inequity

✔️ Wage Gap & Promotion Barriers – Women earn less than men and face barriers to leadership roles.
✔️ Pregnancy & Motherhood Penalties – Women are seen as less competent or committed after having children, limiting their career growth.

5 – Safety Threats & Sexual Harassment

✔️ Street Harassment & Fear-Based Restrictions – Women modify their routines to avoid being harassed or assaulted in public spaces.
✔️ Workplace Sexual Harassment – Many women face inappropriate advances and workplace hostility with little recourse.

6 – Digital Harassment & Psychological Attacks

✔️ Online Harassment, Threats & Doxxing – Women in public roles (journalists, politicians, academics) receive disproportionate cyber abuse, including threats of rape and murder.

7 – Health & Bodily Autonomy Violations

✔️ Medical Gaslighting & Neglect – Women’s pain is taken less seriously by doctors, leading to misdiagnoses and inadequate treatment.
✔️ Reproductive Coercion – Women experience forced pregnancies through sabotage of contraception or legislative restrictions on reproductive rights.

8 – Systemic Violence & Legal Failures

✔️ Underreporting & Dismissal of Assault Cases – Women who report rape or abuse often face victim-blaming and see their cases go unpunished.
✔️ Restraining Order Loopholes & Legal Retaliation – Women leaving abusive relationships often cannot obtain legal protection fast enough, and some are even sued by their abusers for custody of children.

9 – Severe Physical & Psychological Harm

✔️ Sex Trafficking & Exploitation – Women are disproportionately targeted for sex trafficking and coerced labor with little legal recourse or societal attention.

10 – Murder & Torture-Level Violence

✔️ Femicide & Intimate Partner Murders – Over 50% of all female homicides are committed by current or former partners.
✔️ Rape & Sexual Violence Epidemic – 1 in 3 women experience sexual violence in their lifetime, often facing lifelong trauma with no justice.

Challenges Women Face

Here's a long list detailing the various ways women in North America face discrimination, organized into categories with more than 50 distinct points. Each point is numbered for clarity. A reference section with explicit links is included at the end.

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1. Economic and Workplace Discrimination

1. Wage Disparity: Women earn approximately 83% of what men earn, with the gap widening for women of color.
2. Occupational Segregation: Women are overrepresented in lower-paying jobs and underrepresented in high-paying STEM fields.
3. Part-Time Employment: Women are more likely to work part-time due to caregiving responsibilities, leading to reduced earnings and benefits.
4. Leadership Gaps: Women hold fewer executive positions, with only 29% representation in C-suite roles.
5. Sexual Harassment: Approximately 42% of working women have faced gender-based discrimination at work.
6. "Glass Ceiling" Effect: Women often encounter barriers to advancement in their careers, limiting their professional growth.
7. "Sticky Floor" Phenomenon: Women are disproportionately represented in low-wage, dead-end jobs with limited mobility.
8. Pregnancy Discrimination: Pregnant women may face bias in hiring and promotions, affecting their career trajectories.
9. Lack of Maternity Support: Insufficient maternity leave policies and workplace accommodations hinder women's return to work postpartum.
10. "Mommy Track" Labeling: Mothers are often perceived as less committed to their careers, impacting promotions and assignments.
11. Pay Negotiation Bias: Women who negotiate salaries may be perceived negatively, affecting compensation outcomes.
12. Performance Evaluation Disparities: Gender biases can lead to women receiving less favorable performance reviews.
13. Limited Access to Mentorship: Women often have fewer opportunities for mentorship, crucial for career advancement.
14. Networking Barriers: Exclusion from male-dominated networks can impede women's professional growth.
15. "Pink Tax": Products marketed to women often cost more than those for men, leading to higher expenses.
16. Financial Literacy Gaps: Women may have less access to financial education, impacting economic empowerment.
17. Retirement Savings Disparity: Lower lifetime earnings and time out of the workforce contribute to reduced retirement savings for women.
18. Unpaid Labor: Women disproportionately shoulder unpaid household and caregiving responsibilities, limiting paid work opportunities.
19. "Second Shift" Burden: After paid work, women often engage in additional unpaid domestic labor, leading to exhaustion and stress.
20. Emotional Labor: Women are frequently expected to manage and soothe others' emotions, both at work and home, adding to their mental load.
21. Appearance-Based Bias: Women may face discrimination based on their looks, affecting hiring and promotions.
22. Dress Code Restrictions: Workplace dress codes can impose additional financial and personal burdens on women.
23. Sexualization in Media: Media often portrays women in a sexualized manner, impacting self-esteem and societal perceptions.
24. Objectification: Women are frequently reduced to their physical appearance, undermining their professional and personal value.
25. Ageism: Older women may face discrimination in employment and societal roles, being perceived as less competent.

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2. Health and Reproductive Rights

26. Health Care Disparities: Women report discrimination in health care settings, with 18% experiencing bias.
27. Reproductive Rights Challenges: Legislative actions continue to threaten women's access to reproductive health services.
28. Maternal Mortality Rates: The U.S. has higher maternal death rates compared to other developed countries, disproportionately affecting women of color.
29. Underrepresentation in Research: Women have historically been excluded from medical research, leading to gaps in understanding female health issues.
30. Mental Health Stigma: Women may face stigma when seeking mental health services, affecting their well-being.

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3. Violence and Safety Concerns

31. Intimate Partner Violence: Women are more likely to experience intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
32. Underreporting of Assault: Fear of victim-blaming and inadequate legal support lead many women to not report assaults.

33. Street Harassment – Women are disproportionately targeted for catcalling, unwanted advances, and public harassment, which can escalate into physical violence. 🔗
34. Fear-Based Restrictions – Many women modify their behavior (e.g., avoiding nighttime travel, carrying self-defense tools, limiting routes) due to safety concerns. 🔗
35. Online Harassment & Doxxing – Women in public roles (e.g., journalists, politicians, academics, and activists) face disproportionate levels of cyber-harassment, doxxing, and threats of violence. 🔗
36. Sexual Violence – 1 in 3 women experience sexual violence in their lifetime, with significant underreporting due to fear, shame, and systemic failure to prosecute offenders. 🔗
37. Femicide & Intimate Partner Homicide – Women are at a much higher risk of being murdered by an intimate partner compared to men. In 2020, over 50% of female homicides were committed by a current or former partner. 🔗
38. Police & Judicial Failures – Rape cases have low prosecution rates, with many survivors experiencing victim-blaming or having their cases dismissed due to insufficient evidence. 🔗
39. Legal Barriers to Restraining Orders – Women trying to escape abusive relationships face lengthy legal processes, financial obstacles, and risk of retaliation from their abusers. 🔗
40. Sex Trafficking Targeting Women – Women, particularly marginalized and impoverished women, are disproportionately targeted for sex trafficking, with insufficient protection or rehabilitation services available. 🔗
41. Reproductive Coercion – Some women face pressure, threats, or sabotage (e.g., partners tampering with birth control) to force pregnancy or control their reproductive choices. 🔗

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4. Social Expectations & Psychological Burdens

42. Unrealistic Beauty Standards – Women are expected to conform to narrow beauty ideals (thinness, youth, clear skin, etc.), leading to higher rates of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. 🔗
43. Time & Financial Burden of Grooming – Women spend significantly more time on personal grooming than men, which translates to additional costs in money and opportunity. 🔗
44. Parental Burnout & Pressure – Mothers are expected to balance work and caregiving seamlessly, leading to mental health issues and exhaustion. 🔗
45. Judgment Over Parenting Choices – Working mothers are criticized for not spending enough time with their children, while stay-at-home mothers are seen as unambitious. 🔗
46. Household Expectations Despite Employment – Even when women work full-time, they continue to do the majority of housework and childcare, resulting in an unfair "double shift". 🔗
47. Cultural Pressure to be "Nice" – Women are conditioned to be agreeable, accommodating, and deferential, leading to difficulty asserting themselves in professional and personal settings.
48. Emotional Labor in Relationships – Women are expected to handle the majority of conflict resolution, social planning, and emotional regulation within families and workplaces.
49. Code-Switching for Safety – Women adjust their tone, expressions, and behaviors to avoid male aggression, leading to stress and exhaustion. 🔗
50. Gendered Language & Bias – Women are more likely to be described as "bossy" or "difficult" when assertive, while men with the same traits are seen as strong leaders. 🔗
51. Aging & Invisibility – Women face workplace discrimination as they age, whereas aging men are often seen as "seasoned professionals". 🔗

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Conclusion

Women in North America face deep-seated systemic, cultural, and structural discrimination that spans economic, legal, social, and physical safety concerns. The cumulative burden of these factors creates disparities that limit women’s opportunities, financial security, mental health, and autonomy.

Addressing these inequities requires policy changes, cultural shifts, and stronger legal protections to create a truly equitable society.

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References

1. Stop Street Harassment (2022). "Statistics on Street Harassment." https://stopstreetharassment.org/resources/statistics/
2. Pew Research Center (2021). "The State of Online Harassment." https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/13/the-state-of-online-harassment/
3. National Sexual Violence Resource Center (2020). "Sexual Violence Statistics." https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics
4. Violence Policy Center (2022). "When Men Murder Women." https://vpc.org/publications/when-men-murder-women-2022/
5. RAINN (2022). "Criminal Justice System Statistics." https://www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system
6. Polaris Project (2022). "Human Trafficking Facts." https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/facts/
7. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2021). "Reproductive and Sexual Coercion." https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2021/01/reproductive-and-sexual-coercion

 

How Men Can Help

Many men genuinely want to be good partners but struggle with the framework for what that means. Worse, the cultural baseline for men is abysmal. Just doing the bare minimum (or slightly more) makes them seem exceptional in comparison.

Men need to support women on their own terms. A lot of discussions about gender equality get mangled because men think it means "making women more like men" rather than valuing traditionally female-coded behaviors and contributions.

This may be why many men resist feminism—they see it as an attempt to force women into "male modes of success" (e.g., corporate ambition, wealth accumulation), rather than elevating what women naturally bring to the world.

The real pitch to men needs to do two things:
✔ Make it clear that "women’s work" is real, valuable, and needs respect
✔ Get them to see supporting women as a meaningful, identity-affirming responsibility

The Pitch to Men: How to Be Better Without Being Defensive

1. Stop Thinking of Feminism as "For Women"—It’s for You Too

Most men see feminism as something external—a movement for women, about women, led by women. But the truth is, feminism helps men too:

• It means men don’t have to perform toxic masculinity (no need to be stoic, hyper-aggressive, or dominant to "be a real man").
• It removes the burden of being the sole provider (men historically worked themselves to death because that was their role).
• It makes parenting an equal partnership rather than leaving men emotionally disconnected from their children.

🛠️ Pitch to men → "This isn’t about taking something from you. It’s about making your life richer too."

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2. Learn to Recognize and Push Against Cultural Misogyny

Misogyny is everywhere, from casual language ("man up," "stop being a pussy") to the violent undertones in pop culture. The first step for men is to see it, call it out, and reject it—even in themselves.

🛠️ Pitch to men → "If you heard someone say ‘run for your life if you can, little girl,’ to your daughter, how would you feel? If it disgusts you there, why accept it in your own culture?"

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3. Stop Thinking “Helping” is the Same as “Being an Equal Partner”

A lot of men believe they’re great partners because they “help out” around the house. But if they see themselves as helpers, they are still expecting the woman to be the CEO of the household.

✅ Doing the dishes is good.
❌ Expecting to be praised for doing them? Bad.

Men should not wait to be asked. They should take full ownership of tasks.

🛠️ Pitch to men → "You’re not ‘helping’—you live here too. You don’t ‘help’ by doing your own share."

4. Respect Traditionally Female Priorities Instead of Looking Down on Them

Men often devalue caregiving, emotional labor, and household management, considering them less "real" or important than external work. But humans don’t thrive on GDP—we thrive on relationships and stability.

• Raising kids, maintaining friendships, and managing a household are deeply important human endeavors, not “lesser work.”
• Many women genuinely like focusing on family, relationships, and caregiving—that’s not a weakness.
• The problem isn’t that women are doing these things, it’s that we don’t respect them enough.

🛠️ Pitch to men → "The things we call ‘women’s work’ are actually the things that make life meaningful. Who will remember your quarterly report in 50 years? But the way you show up for people? That matters forever."

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5. Understand That Women Experience the World Differently Than You

A major reason men struggle to empathize with women’s burdens is because they don’t experience the same baseline of constant vigilance, disrespect, and expectation management.

• A man can walk to his car at night without fear.
• A man can have a strong opinion in a meeting without being called ‘emotional.’
• A man can succeed without being expected to also run a household and care for others.

🛠️ Pitch to men → "Imagine carrying a 20-pound backpack everywhere. You get used to it, but it’s still always there. That’s what being a woman is like. You can’t take the backpack off for them, but you sure as hell can stop making it heavier."

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6. The Biggest Mindset Shift: “What If She Were Your Daughter?”

One of the fastest ways to make men understand gender injustice is to frame it through their own emotional relationships with the women they care about.

• If your daughter grows up and earns 20% less than a man for the same job, will you tell her it’s fair?
• If your wife does 70% of the household labor, should she also have to thank you for "helping"?
• If your sister gets harassed at work, do you want her to just "toughen up"?

🛠️ Pitch to men → "If you wouldn’t want it for your daughter, don’t tolerate it for anyone else’s."

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Final Thought: Make Feminism About More Than Not Being “One of the Bad Guys”

Many men think they’re doing enough just by not actively being sexist. But that’s too low a bar.

✔️ Being a feminist man isn’t just about avoiding harm—it’s about actively doing good.
✔️ It’s about making the world fairer for the people you love.
✔️ It’s about respect, not charity.

🛠️ Final pitch to men →
"Being a better man doesn’t mean giving something up. It means gaining something better: deeper relationships, a stronger family, and a world where your daughters, wives, and sisters get the same respect you take for granted."