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Feminism sold a lie - Women, today, are worse off than ever

888 replies

ConservativeC2 · 28/10/2025 20:58

Listening to the women I work with, it's been interesting to hear their views about feminism and they are not happy. We are all millennial age so not too young, not too old and I keep hearing that it's the millennial generation of women that have absolutely lost out the most.

I think feminism initially promoted some idea of independence, equality and choice. Phrases like 'men hold all the money and power' at the time were very emotive whilst not entirely true. The correct statement then (and still now) is some men hold all the money and power. Most men back in the 50s-70s worked very long hours and spent pretty much all their money on their family. It was hard for everyone, but I think women were more empowered then than now.

In contrast to today, most of the women my age have to work. Whilst feminism promotes choice, most of them do not actually have a choice today. Most men today do not earn enough to run a household which means most women have to work. The worst part is they still do a larger share of the domestic work and childcare. So I think women now have it worse than ever - it's not just me, my female colleagues feel the same way. They've come to point in life where they want to start a family but they know they will have to come back to work.

Now it's all to do with feminism. There are other factors which has driven up the cost of living (inflation, property prices, profit extraction from multinational corporates etc).

OP posts:
RubySquid · 28/10/2025 22:50

SideshowItchy · 28/10/2025 22:46

You. Dont. Want. To. Work???

So you're lazy?

I read she didn't want to work AND do all the other stuff

BrokenWingsCantFly · 28/10/2025 22:49

BogRollBOGOF · 28/10/2025 22:25

Xennial cusp. In my childhood, many mums worked part time, but didn't really have careers with equal progression opportunities to men.

Women were still facing shame for children born/ raised outside of wedlock.

Women had already won the right to equal work for equal pay. Maternity rights have improved... my mother returned to work after 3 weeks out of financial necessity.

We are the closest to equal opportunities (at least legally) than we have ever been.

The greatest issue is usually men not upping their game in domestic life to balance the increased demand of their female partner's working life.

I once read a comment on here that traditional "blue" jobs have benefited more from automation, efficiency and low maintainence developments than traditional "pink" jobs. Modern cars can't be tinkered with much, gardens can require minimal maintainence and DIY can be outsourced or be simplified. These types of chores are also not daily or even weekly unlike chores like laundry, cooking, washing up or childcare.

Not enough men put in a fair effort in to unpaid domestic roles.

Toxic mascilinity is the problem, not feminism.

Of course pink jobs are massively easier now. Washing machines. Tumble driers, dishwashers. Air friers, microwaves. Childminders are now not only for the super rich like on Mary Poppins. Thr government even funds a lot of it to make it accessible to us.
Think that past poster and you have forgot about those things when trying to make that argument

RubySquid · 28/10/2025 22:49

Hardhats · 28/10/2025 22:45

Well you’re not handcuffed to him for life, what steps are you taking to address these issues? If you’re going to roll over and take it, a crystal ball wouldn’t save you in the first place.

And by leaving him the she be doing just as much bloody work without the income he brings. How does improve matters?

dancingbymyself · 28/10/2025 22:48

I see your brand of feminism assumes that women want to have children…

ThatPeachScroller · 28/10/2025 22:48

Hardhats · 28/10/2025 22:45

Well you’re not handcuffed to him for life, what steps are you taking to address these issues? If you’re going to roll over and take it, a crystal ball wouldn’t save you in the first place.

Yes let’s blame the woman and not the entitled men!!!
We need to stop saying well the woman needs to choose better and starting saying the men need to do better!!!

SideshowItchy · 28/10/2025 22:47

ThatPeachScroller · 28/10/2025 22:44

Unfortunately I didn’t have a fucking crystal ball and most women don’t know how bad it’s going to be until the children actually arrive

Really?

No clues at all?

SideshowItchy · 28/10/2025 22:46

ThatPeachScroller · 28/10/2025 22:39

I don’t want to work and do the majority of the housework and the childcare. I’m a millennial. I completely get it OP. We are still being shafted by men who seem to think they are entitled to our labour.

Edited

You. Dont. Want. To. Work???

So you're lazy?

Hardhats · 28/10/2025 22:45

ThatPeachScroller · 28/10/2025 22:44

Unfortunately I didn’t have a fucking crystal ball and most women don’t know how bad it’s going to be until the children actually arrive

Well you’re not handcuffed to him for life, what steps are you taking to address these issues? If you’re going to roll over and take it, a crystal ball wouldn’t save you in the first place.

lightningatmidnight · 28/10/2025 22:45

UNDERCOVERELEPHANTINTHEROOM · 28/10/2025 21:07

Yes, many women have it worse because they take on so much more responsibility now.
They went from being a housewife & mother to being a housewife & mother, contributing much more equally to the family finances, doing all of the household admin, arranging childcare, most if not all of the chores, arranging their children's social lives, while their husbands lives changed minimally by 'helping' with the chores and the children a little.
However, those women dont have to stay with those men. They have the freedom and the opportunity to leave.

Yes yes yes

PollyBell · 28/10/2025 22:45

So your version of feminism is a man needs to be a bank?

And men's only choice is to be a cash cow? So women can stay home and play house?

JudgeBread · 28/10/2025 22:44

Ubertomusic · 28/10/2025 22:19

Errr... I won't ask about your background but my grandma never worked except during the war, and no one "owed" her or deprived her of any choice 🤷‍♀️

...Your grandma is your only ancestor?

Bellyblueboy · 28/10/2025 22:44

How can anyone say equality has been bad for women? Who could look at their teenage daughter and hope they don’t get an education; have the right to buy their own home; leave a bad marriage; earn the same as a man doing their job; be protected from sexual harassment at work and sexual violence at home.

who could tell a little girl she shouldn’t dream of being a doctor; or a pilot; or a police officer; or a coder; or a DJ; or a high court judge.

OP you are nuts

ThatPeachScroller · 28/10/2025 22:44

AzureCats · 28/10/2025 22:42

@ThatPeachScroller could you not have children with a man who pulls his weight around the house? Could you not drop the rope and do less chores for him? I would not tolerate this from anyone, let alone my husband.

Unfortunately I didn’t have a fucking crystal ball and most women don’t know how bad it’s going to be until the children actually arrive

Denim4ever · 28/10/2025 22:43

Started work in the 80s. Quite a lot of professional women still either stopped working or had a career break to have a family. I could not see the point of getting on the career ladder and then stepping off during your 20s. It worked out for me.

I do, however, question the correct model. I don't want to work until I'm pushing 70. It's not the way to move things along for women or men. The opportunity to achieve goals by 45/50 and retire at 60/65 feels like the better model. I carry on working because the current modus operandi seems to deem it appropriate but my feminist rebellion might be to just chuck it in soon.

I think younger generations are not getting breaks and gaining qualifications is too expensive. It's certainly true that if one wanted a career in the 80s, 90s or 00s it was more possible and affordable than it is now.

AzureCats · 28/10/2025 22:42

@ThatPeachScroller could you not have children with a man who pulls his weight around the house? Could you not drop the rope and do less chores for him? I would not tolerate this from anyone, let alone my husband.

Bedheadbeachbum · 28/10/2025 22:41

I tend to agree with OP. Feminism works for women until they do the most womanly thing ever of having babies! And then it gives them the cold shoulder. No one is championing SAHP, children are a problem to be solved as women are a unit of economic growth.

I resent that so many parents have to work FT and that years ago you could survive on one good income or at least work PT.

Great if you have a career you love and thrive in but a lot of people just have jobs.

The answer is no answer. Maybe a basic income of women with children, but how would that be funded? I'm wary of feminism since having children, before I was a staunch feminist. Yes I know my history, we still have it good compared to some previous eras.

ThatPeachScroller · 28/10/2025 22:39

I don’t want to work and do the majority of the housework and the childcare. I’m a millennial. I completely get it OP. We are still being shafted by men who seem to think they are entitled to our labour.

BufferingAgain · 28/10/2025 22:39

You wouldn’t necessarily have been married to some lovely man who shared all his money and was appreciative of everything you did. Lots of people ended up essentially held hostage by complete thick wankers

MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack · 28/10/2025 22:38

ConservativeC2 · 28/10/2025 21:13

I mean how many men can singularly afford to pay the mortgage for a three bed semi detached, bills, 2 cars (one when he's at work, other needed for school drop/picks and clubs), at least one holiday a year and all the other things that just what an average brit does, I'm not talking about an excessive lifestyle.

The point was men could afford to run a household a long time ago and now then can't. This means women have to work to work to ensure all those costs are met. This was my point, they had the choice before and it's pretty much that they don't have the choice.

I thank feminism for the fact that I can singularly earn enough to pay for our mortgage/car/bills/holiday etc, and that I don't have to rely on a man for any of these things. That would have been unimaginable for my mother.

cestlavielife · 28/10/2025 22:37

men could afford to run a household a long time ago and now then can't. This means women have to work to work to ensure all those costs are met.

Eh?
Why are you so focused on men working and women at home?

Why shouldnt women go out to work?
The goal is for women amd men to equally share household and parenting chores.

The problem in 1959s to 1970s was lack of choice. And discrimination women paid less than men for same job.

Now the issue of COL is not about feminism

AzureCats · 28/10/2025 22:36

You can't blame feminism for late stage capitalism.
If wages, inflation, and house prices actually tallied like they used to then it would be possible to maintain a household on one income.
Of course the powers that be made the most of a ever increasing work force. They don't need to raise wages, because there's plenty of people competing for jobs.

I would never want to go back to essentially being owned by a husband. There's plenty of countries that still operate like that and look how life is for those women. Miserable.

I'd rather have to work because at least I can change my job when I want, have freedom to move about and travel. Being stuck at home, keeping house, being at the whim of a man and his measly "allowance" sounds like my idea of hell. Then expected to be a sex slave at the end of the day. No thanks. And that's if you're lucky enough not to be stuck with one that beats you up.

Like others have said, make different choices. You don't have to have children. You don't have to marry a lazy fecker. Reduce outgoings to essentials plus some fun money. Being single is better than being tied to a man that makes life worse. I will forever thank feminism for giving us more options in life.

latetothefisting · 28/10/2025 22:36

JHound · 28/10/2025 21:00

I have it much much much better than my female ancestors.

agree. What period exactly in history would you have preferred to be born in OP?

When women couldn't own their own property?
When they worked the same hours as men for half the money?
When they were conscripted into war work?
When they couldn't open their own bank account?
When they weren't entitled to see their own children if they divorced or separated?
When marital rape was still legal?

Go on, tell us about the golden period in feminism you're yearning for.

And as pp's have said, the vast majority of women have worked AND kept house AND looked after the children throughout history. And their work wasn't a nice 9-5 in a warm office either. And they didn't have any mod cons to help with the house keeping. And half their children died. Good times. 🙄

MargotMoon · 28/10/2025 22:34

ConservativeC2 · 28/10/2025 21:13

I mean how many men can singularly afford to pay the mortgage for a three bed semi detached, bills, 2 cars (one when he's at work, other needed for school drop/picks and clubs), at least one holiday a year and all the other things that just what an average brit does, I'm not talking about an excessive lifestyle.

The point was men could afford to run a household a long time ago and now then can't. This means women have to work to work to ensure all those costs are met. This was my point, they had the choice before and it's pretty much that they don't have the choice.

This has got much less to do with feminism than it has rampant capitalism making life harder for the vast majority of ordinary people.

Morningsleepin · 28/10/2025 22:34

Why is this the fault of feminists? Surely it's the fault of the bosses who don't pay enough for a family to be able to get by one wage.

Stormyday34 · 28/10/2025 22:33

Octavia64 · 28/10/2025 21:07

When my mum started working it was completely legal to pay women less than men for doing exactly the same job.

some women had to resign their jobs when they got married.

she considered sexual harassment completely normal behaviour from the men in the office.

i don’t want it to be normal for women to be sexually harassed in the office. I don’t want women to be paid less than men for the exact same job. I don’t want women to be banned from being teachers or doctors at all, or banned from working after they are married.

being married to someone who is legally entitled to have sex with you whether you consent or not and legally entitled to keep all household money from you and your children leaving you to be cold and hungry is not a good position to be in.

i don’t want to go back to those days.

This. One million times this. I’ll take being a millennial over any generation that came before thanks!