Why do women give each other such a hard time?

I'm unconvinced of that carol. In fact I'd say it's impossible to tell in a society geared up around competitiveness. But even if it were natural is the nastiness that accompanies it natural? Do the two have to go hand in hand? Just musing really.

Even in today's society co-operation achieves great things. It's just that women aren't encouraged to be cooperative with each other. Women organising themselves for each other's benefit is seen as a frightening thing. It is nearly always challenged.

A very simple example is there are a group of three of us at work who regularly talk to each other. We are known as the coven. There are three men who do similar. Barely noticed.

scallop I totally agree. Ive experienced abuse in the street when I was bigger.

And ive also seen different replies from male posters when an OP Is posting about the same subject....depending on whether the OP is a man or a woman.

scallop not convinced, I believe humans are naturally competitive rather than co-operative.

But no it's not natural. Because when women are given the space and time and encouragement to support each other, they do.

Because men never say shitty comments about women do they? They never abuse them in the streets. They never verbally abuse them in relationships. They never pronounce judgement on women in the media. They never judge them in the work place.

Of course they do. All the time. Every day. And they do a lot worse. More than women do to other women. All the time. Every day.

It is just minimised and ignored and forgiven much more easily. Because that's the trick of patriarchy. It pits woman against woman so men's shitty behaviour is obfuscated.

I don't believe it'snatural. I do believe it's a product of the patriarchy, as an oppressed group will seek to gain a small amount of control in a world where they have little, and if that comes from policing themselves then so be it. Plus added bonus of patriarchy endorsed! So their status is raised within the ranks permitted

Plus as many women are likely to be arseholes as men, all things being equal. But the patriarchy provides a particularly miserable framework for that

I'm sorry you've been on the receiving end of shitty behaviour