Invisible Women

"Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Perez is a groundbreaking book that reveals the profound and pervasive gender disparities that affect women's everyday lives. The author explores in detail how women are systematically ignored and invisible in fields ranging from product design to public infrastructure to scientific research. These disparities have real and often negative consequences for women's health, safety, and economic well-being. Criado Perez highlights the need to systematically collect and analyze data that includes women's experiences so that we can build a more equitable and inclusive world for all.

Many everyday objects are designed according to men's dimensions and needs, which can make it difficult for women to use them. One prominent example is the piano. The standard piano keyboard has an octave length of 7.4 inches, which is difficult for the average woman's hands to reach. A 2015 study showed that 87% of adult female pianists are disadvantaged because of their average hand span, which is between 7 and 8 inches. Of the 12 internationally renowned pianists in the study, only two were women, and these top pianists had above-average hand spans: 9 to 9.5 inches. This suggests that male hand spans are better adapted to the standard keyboard, allowing men to achieve higher performance and recognition. A similar problem occurs in smartphone design. In 2018, the average smartphone size was 5.5 inches, which is cumbersome and impractical for the average woman's hands. Smartphone design is often tailored to male proportions, meaning that the hypothetical user for whom these devices are designed has the hand proportions of an average man. Using a smartphone with one hand is therefore more difficult for women, which reduces their comfort and efficiency. In addition, this design can lead to musculoskeletal problems. A 2016 study from Seoul University found that women have a significantly higher incidence of musculoskeletal problems caused by smartphone use than men. These examples illustrate the broader problem that many tools and devices are designed with male body proportions in mind, often resulting in women being at a disadvantage. Not only does this approach limit women's convenience and efficiency, but it can also prevent them from reaching their full potential. Female pianists with smaller hand spans cannot compete as effectively with their male counterparts, which can affect their careers and recognition. Similarly, women using smartphones face discomfort and health risks as a result of inappropriate design. The solution to this problem is for designers and manufacturers to start taking into account the diverse needs and body proportions of all users. This means designing products that are accessible and comfortable for all, regardless of gender. Inclusive design could include keyboards with different key sizes to suit different hand spans, or smartphones with ergonomic designs to suit different hand sizes. Such approaches would help remove gender disadvantages and allow women to achieve the same opportunities and comfort in using everyday objects as men.

Safety standards and tests are an important aspect of product design, but they are often designed to male body proportions, which can be dangerous for women. One of the most prominent examples is automobile crash tests. These tests use dummies that represent the male body. The dummies used since the 1950s have dimensions typical of the 50th percentile of men: 1.77 m tall and weighing 76 kg. They have a male spine and male muscular proportions, which means that the test results primarily reflect safety for men. A 2011 study revealed that women are 47% more likely to be seriously injured in car crashes than men. One reason for this is that women tend to sit differently and use seat belts differently than men. Anatomical differences between the sexes affect how they sit in the car and how they are protected in the event of an accident. Although some car companies have started to use anatomically correct female mannequins, it is not their legal obligation to do so. In the EU, none of the five safety tests that a car must pass before it can be put on the market stipulates that a female crash test dummy should be used. Science is also contributing to this problem by using a so-called reference man. This standard is a white male aged 25-30 years who weighs 70 kg. This approach has historically been used to represent everyone, which is particularly problematic in workplace health and safety. Women's bodies are not only proportionally and anatomically different from men's, but they also have different immune systems and hormones. These differences affect how women's bodies tolerate exposure to radiation and industrial chemicals. Despite this, many occupational health and safety recommendations are based on male references. Work environments are therefore often designed with the male body in mind, which can be dangerous for women. Women can be exposed to chemicals in quantities that may not be harmful to men, but are certainly harmful to women. A 2014 study shows that women are exposed to radiation more than men. In addition, women exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the workplace have a 42% higher risk of breast cancer. These examples show how safety standards are designed according to male body proportions, often resulting in women being disadvantaged and at risk. The solution to this problem is to include women's bodies and their specific needs in safety tests and scientific studies. This would mean using female dummies in crash tests and taking into account women's anatomical and physiological differences in occupational and health safety standards. Such an approach would contribute to improving health and safety for all, regardless of gender.

Gender differences in data have a major impact on various aspects of life, including public transport. An example is European public transport, where transport data focus primarily on the mobility of full-time employees, who are predominantly male. A 2012 EU-wide study showed that transport is tailored to the needs of these employees, leading to resources being concentrated on peak times when they travel to and from work. This approach ignores the needs of part-time workers and carers, who are predominantly women and often use public transport outside these times. This approach to transport planning leads to women being underserved and penalised for the way they travel. Public transport tickets are often priced according to the number of journeys, not the distance. Men, who by default commute two journeys a day, are at an advantage. Women, on the other hand, who often 'chain travel' and make several short journeys during the day, pay more. This means that women often pay more for shorter distances, which is unfair and economically disadvantageous. An example of changes that can take account of gender differences is the Swedish city of Karlskoga. Previously, snow was cleared first from the roads and then from pavements and pedestrian zones, favouring full-time employees who commute by car. Most of these employees are men. After analyzing the data, the city realized that part-time workers and caregivers, who are predominantly women, typically move around on foot. So they changed their snow clearing procedure, started clearing snow from sidewalks and pedestrian areas first, which led to a significant reduction in pedestrian accidents. These examples show how gender differences in data are embedded in our infrastructure and how they affect women's daily lives. Addressing this problem requires incorporating gender-disaggregated data into planning and decision-making. This means collecting and analysing data that takes into account the specific needs and experiences of women so that we can create more equitable and inclusive public systems.

The design of public toilets is another example of how gender differences in data can lead to inequitable and inefficient use of public space. Public planning regulations often stipulate that venues must allocate equal space for men's and women's toilets. At first sight this seems fair, but a closer look reveals that these rules ignore the specific needs of women. Men and women use the toilets differently. Men use a combination of urinals and cubicles, allowing more users in a smaller space. Women, on the other hand, need cubicles exclusively, which take up more space and require more time to use. In addition, women are more likely to accompany children to the toilet, menstruating women need more time for hygiene tasks, and pregnant women urinate more frequently. These factors lead to women spending more time in the toilet than men, resulting in longer queues in front of women's toilets. Long queues outside women's toilets are thus a direct consequence of the difference in gender data and the lack of planning that takes women's needs into account. For example, if there are the same number of men's and women's toilets at public events, in practice this means that women have to wait longer, which is inconvenient and impractical. This problem is not only inconvenient, but can also have more serious consequences in developing countries. In households without private bathrooms, access to toilets is a problem for both sexes, but the lack of public bathrooms poses a greater problem for women. Where there are no bathrooms, men relieve themselves in public, which is physically demanding and often socially taboo for women. Some women retain urine, which can lead to health problems such as urinary tract infections and dehydration. In developing countries where women do not have access to private toilets, they are referred to public toilets, which are often in unsafe locations and not segregated by gender. This means that women put themselves at risk of sexual assault and violence when using public toilets. In India, for example, women without access to a private toilet are twice as likely to experience sexual violence than women who have bathrooms in their homes. The solution to this problem lies in better planning of public spaces that takes into account the different needs of men and women. This means designing public toilets with more cubicles for women or introducing flexible access where the ratio of toilets would be adjusted according to actual needs. In addition, there is a need to invest in public toilet infrastructure in developing countries to ensure safe and dignified access to sanitation for all women. Such measures would significantly improve women's daily lives and contribute to their health and safety.

Gender disparities in data have particularly serious implications in the field of medicine. Despite the fact that male and female bodies differ at the anatomical, organ, tissue and cellular level, women are often left out of medical studies. This is due to the assumption that women's bodies are too "complex" and "expensive" to research due to hormonal changes, leading to inaccurate and incomplete data. One example is the review of medical devices. A study conducted by the FDA in the US found that only 32% of participants in coronary stent trials were female. In trials of endovascular occlusion devices, only 18 per cent of participants were female. This lack of representation of women in clinical trials means that medical devices and treatments that are marketed are not sufficiently tested on women, which can lead to inadequate results and a higher risk of complications. Another example is the FDA's review of the CRT-D (pacemaker) in 2014. A CRT-D is a device that is implanted in patients with heart failure and corrects irregular electrical heart waves. Initial studies reported that patients whose hearts take 150 milliseconds or more to complete an electrical wave would benefit from CRT-D implantation. However, in the original study, only about 20% of the participants were female. A subsequent review showed that women could benefit from CRT-D at as little as 130 milliseconds. For women with electrical waves between 130 and 149 milliseconds, the likelihood of heart failure with the CRT-D implant was reduced by 76%. Gender differences in medical research data are quantifiably detrimental to women's health. For example, a 2017 EU study reported that women are often considered "difficult" subjects due to hormonal changes, leading to their exclusion from research. This approach neglects women's needs and health issues, which can have fatal consequences. For example, differences in the manifestations and symptoms of myocardial infarction in men and women lead to frequent overlooking and misdiagnosis of myocardial infarction in women. It is therefore essential that health studies and clinical trials focus on equal representation of both sexes. This would mean that researchers would have to take into account the different anatomical and physiological needs of women, which would lead to more accurate and effective treatments and medical devices for women. Governments and health institutions should put in place policies and regulations to ensure equal representation of men and women in clinical trials. Such an approach would ensure that health care is equitable and effective for all patients, regardless of gender.

One of the biggest gender gaps that has a significant impact on the global economy is the non-counting of unpaid work in gross domestic product (GDP). Unpaid work, such as housework and care for children and the elderly, is predominantly done by women. This work has economic value, but because it is unpaid, it is not included in official economic statistics, leading to an underestimation of real economic activity. According to the UK Office for National Statistics, UK GDP in 2016 would have risen from £2.7 trillion to £3.9 trillion after accounting for unpaid work. Similarly, the UN estimates that $3.2 trillion worth of unpaid childcare was carried out in the US in 2012, accounting for 20% of the country's GDP for that year. A 2017 Australian study found that unpaid childcare would be Australia's largest industry if it were included in GDP. The lack of recognition and quantification of unpaid work has significant implications for the economy. When women do unpaid work, they are often supporting partners who may be doing paid work that is counted in GDP. In this way, women's economic contribution is inadequately represented. This situation also leads to lower participation of women in the formal labour force, which slows down economic growth. The McKinsey Global Institute reports that if women participated in the workforce at the same rate as men, global GDP would increase by $12 trillion. Between 1970 and 2009, the number of working women in the US increased by around 38 million, generating around 25% of GDP growth. In Europe, where the gender employment gap is 12%, 25% of women surveyed said that housework prevented them from joining the workforce, while only three per cent of men felt the same way. Collecting data on women's unpaid work would enable governments to make policy decisions that would encourage women to enter the workforce. One solution is to increase spending on social infrastructure, such as affordable care for children and the elderly, which would create jobs and increase GDP. In the US, for example, a two per cent investment in social infrastructure would create 13 million additional jobs, compared with 7.5 million if the same amount were invested in construction. It is clear that recognising and including unpaid work in economic statistics would have significant positive impacts on the economy and on women's lives. Such a move would ensure a fairer distribution of resources and opportunities and promote equality between men and women. Governments and international organizations should take steps to include unpaid work in GDP calculations and develop policies that support women in the workforce, thereby increasing economic growth and prosperity for all.

Gender gaps in data also have a profound impact on political representation and public policy-making. In December 2017, women accounted for only 23.5% of the world's politicians, reflecting the significant under-representation of women in political decision-making positions. This under-representation has serious implications, as research shows that women in politics are much more likely to address gender gaps and implement policies that promote gender equality. One of the reasons why more women do not enter politics is the perception of politics as a 'male' space. Research from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008 showed that when a woman speaks in a stereotypically male context, she is evaluated more negatively than a man who says exactly the same thing. This phenomenon leads to women in politics often being seen as aggressive where men are seen as assertive. This perception affects their likeability and consequently their electability. In addition, women politicians are more likely to be the target of gender-based name-calling and abuse. A 2016 global report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) found that 66% of female politicians said they had experienced misogynistic abuse from male colleagues. Women in politics are also more likely to be victims of online harassment. In Australia, for example, 80% of women over the age of 30 said they would not run for office because of online harassment of female politicians. This hostility and abuse can make it difficult for women to enter and stay in politics, leading to their continued underrepresentation in political positions. The underrepresentation of women in politics means women's issues and needs are less likely to be addressed. Research shows that women politicians are more likely to propose and support policies focused on family policy, education and social infrastructure. A 2016 study of British female politicians showed that women politicians spoke more about family policy and education than their male counterparts. What's more, women politicians translate their talk into action. An analysis of female politicians in OECD countries between 1960 and 2005 found that they were more likely to create and support women-oriented policies. A 2004 study in India found similar results, finding that when a third of local council seats were reserved for women, investment in infrastructure related to women's needs increased. The gender gap in politics therefore not only affects women in these positions themselves, but also has wider implications for public policy and society. Addressing this problem requires active measures to support and protect women in politics. This may include quotas to guarantee a minimum representation of women in political bodies, legislation to protect against gender-based violence and harassment, and campaigns to change the perception of women in politics. Without sufficient representation of women in political decision-making positions, gender gaps in data and policies will persist. It is essential to create and promote an environment that enables women to participate safely and effectively in politics to ensure balance and fairness in public office.

Caroline Criado Perez's "Invisible Women" reveals the deep and pervasive gender disparities in data that affect women's everyday lives. The author demonstrates how women are systematically ignored in many fields, from product design to public infrastructure to scientific research. These disparities lead to serious consequences, including inefficient public services, unfair work environments, health risks, and inadequate health care. The book emphasizes that addressing these issues requires systematic data collection and analysis that incorporates women's experiences and needs. An inclusive approach to design, safety standards, health studies, and public policies is essential to creating a more just and egalitarian world. "Invisible Women" thus calls for a change in access to data and decision-making processes so that we can build a society that takes into account the needs of all its members, regardless of gender. Do you have feedback for us? We'd love it if you let us know your opinion on our content! Just send an email to feedback@rewio.app with the title of this book in the subject line and share your impressions!