Recently, the TikTok account @power.to.her asked women, “What are some things you’ve noticed that are blatantly sexist but are so normalized within society?”
The responses (of the many) tackled everything from sexist wedding traditions to pregnancy and contraception. Some women even pointed out how Hollywood perpetuates sexism .
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Keep reading to learn about 10+ sexist things that women are, quite frankly, fed up with.
The onus on women to change their last names as soon as they get married.
A woman’s maiden name is a huge part of their identity. @power.to.her pointed out how most women received their degrees and career accomplishments under their maiden name.
The double standard that comes with a woman trying to get her tubes tied.
When Lindsay Shelton tried to get her tubes tied, she was told that she was too young and to bring in her husband to discuss it. Meanwhile, her husband can make one simple call to book a vasectomy.
School dress codes for females.
“This logic about girls needing to ‘cover up’ is so problematic and so flawed, because we’re teaching girls that they are responsible for how men act when they show any part of their body,” said TikToker @lilbaby__98 .
Various elements of a wedding.
According to TikTok user @miramimihi, there are many outdated traditions, such as the bride wearing white to symbolize purity (aka she’s still a virgin) and the bride’s family paying for the wedding as if there’s a dowry.
Fathers often getting their kids on the weekends in custody agreements.
Lindsay Evz pointed out this unfair advantage that many men have.
They get to be the “fun parent” by letting them sleep in and hang out instead of enforcing bedtime or homework.
The double standard that comes with a woman trying to buy her own home.
This happened to Jessi Rae.
Despite paying for the downpayment herself, mortgage and insurance companies still labeled her male partner as the owner and her as the co-borrower. WTF?
Only asking women when they’re going to have kids.
“Would you ask that if I was a man?” questioned @power.to.her . “When corporations hire women, they usually anticipate that they’re going to take a maternity leave and this is considered a due cost for them, and this is something that people use to justify the pay gap.”
Gender titles in news broadcasts.
If you haven’t noticed this before, you will now.
Amanda Castrillo pointed out how women’s relationships are included in their title on the news i.e. a wife and mother of two, while men are called only by their names.
Dads can enjoy social time away from the kids, while women are judged for it.
If a woman occasionally goes out drinking with her friends, she’s looked at as a bad mother . Yet men can have boys’ nights without fear of judgment.
The prefix for men vs. females.
This was pointed out again by @powe.to.her.
“The prefix for men is Mr. and the prefix for women is Miss, Ms. and Mrs. A prefix for women is directly dependent on if she is single or married,” she said. “It stays Mr. for men all their lives.”
Sayings like “grow a pair” and “get some balls.”
This is often uttered in situations when someone needs to be strong, pointed out TikToker, @victoriagarrick .
But the truth is that testicles are actually very sensitive, which means that these normalized sayings make no sense.
A woman’s bad mood has to mean she’s on her period.
While it was funny to see this depicted from Michael Scott in The Office , it’s not funny in real life.
Women are more than their periods !
Women-only contraception.
“Women are forced to take sole responsibility for contraception when women are only fertile 3-5 days of the year,” shared @nezzysparkles .
Yet, “Men are fertile every single day of the year. The biggest gimmick of all was that it was sold to us as a way of independence.”
Shaving vs. men and women.
“If a woman doesn’t shave, it’s considered ‘manly’ and ‘nasty,'” said @onspirit_shinee_88.
Similarly, she added, “Makeup is targeted specifically towards women, and when a man uses it, he’s considered less of a man.”
Women conditioned to be overly polite from childhood.
It’s a very different story for men.
TikTok user @tubbybrides shared how women are conditioned to do things like apologize if they bump into someone. This might explain why men struggle to apologize at times.
Office chairs being made with men’s bodies in mind.
This might explain why your office chair is so uncomfortable!
TikTok user @thefriendlylocalcannibal said that most manufacturers use men’s measurements — not women’s — when making their chairs.
Male actors can play a “love interest” throughout the entire career, while female actors have a very short window.
TikToker emilydeahl pointed this #straightfacts out.
Basically, once a female actor turns 30, she’s offered less and less romantic roles.
Men expecting women to move out of the way for them.
Effie Elizabeth has had enough of appeasing men.
Once she stopped doing this, she said that the number of men who ran into her is “actually insane.”
Fathers walking their daughters down the aisle at their wedding.
TikTok user @ambererignn pointed out how the custom stems from men handing off women like property.
“I feel like that needed to be done away with when we started getting rights,” she said.
Men playing video games.
TikTok user @basicmichi thinks society’s opinions regarding video games need to change. She argues that if she were to stay home and play video games all day — she’d be called a bad mother. But when a man does it, it’s completely normal.
A predator’s mindset.
Charissa Cooke is tired of people coming up to her and saying that she needs to watch out for her daughter as she gets older. She says it’s almost as if they’re expecting her to be sexually assaulted otherwise.
The idea of setting boundaries.
TikTok user @scarrednotscared says that there’s a huge discrepancy when it comes to women setting boundaries as opposed to men.
When a man does it, he’s considered confident and powerful. But when a woman does the same thing, she’s considered shrewd and cold.
Why do men get off so easy?
Society often paints men as bumbling idiots and we laugh along as if they didn’t (and couldn’t) know any better.
Why don’t women get the same leeway ; why are they supposed to be the only ones who innately know how to care for children?
The entire concept of permiscuity.
When a man decides that he wants to sleep around, he’s considered to be a man’s man or some kind of casanova. But when a woman exercises her sexual freedom and desires — she’s labelled a slut or worse.
Children bearing their father’s surname.
TikTok user @tianatianataylor points out that she grew her daughter inside her for 9 whole months before birthing her into this world. Yet despite all of this incredible sacrifice, the child has her husband ‘s last name.
Women like whiskey, too.
TikTok user @power.to.her is tired of getting the side-eye every time she orders a whiskey on the rocks at the bar.
Where is it written that women can only enjoy coolers or wine or other flavored fruity drinks?
Cleaning up.
Not only are women expected to prepare the bulk of the meals (especially around the holidays) but on top of all that, they also get stuck with the clean-up.
While the majority of their husbands sneak away to finish watching the game on TV; how is that fair?
