What do you think the main common issues are for women

But as a pp said- the patriarchy. Men have always set the rules. Of course they are to the advantage of males and the disadvantage of females. In every aspect of life.

Lack of female autonomy over the female body- any law about reproductive organs, fgm, breastfeeding being an issue that even needs to be discussed, sexual violence. I'd include the pressure and expectations to look young, thin and groomed. The objectification of females not only on porn but in main stream media.

The responsibility of children, childcare and the home ultimately falling on the woman.

For me, the main issues are:

The inadequacy of the Child Maintenance Service.

The way fathers are allowed to walk out of their DC's lives and the mother gets the criticism.

Reproductive health, by which I mean everything from hormonal contraception issues, to the hoop jumping required to get an abortion, to the dismissive way the NHS treats some pregnant women wanting C-sections or pain relief during/after childbirth. To the lack of treatment for childbirth injuries. And FGM.

Gender pay gap and obstacles to women getting good jobs and promotions.

Lack of flexible working for both men and women.

Cost of childcare.

Removal of safe spaces for women (because of transactivism).

Poor conviction rate for rape and sexual assault. And the soft sentences if they are convicted.

Male violence.

Hmm, one is kinda tied to the other, isn't it

Kind of ... Although you can have sex without reproduction but not vice versa unless your name is Mary. But I also see themas quite distinct. Prostitution is not about reproduction, its about sex (and power). I see reproductive autonomy as the ability to say no (or yes) to pregnancy.

Probably agree.. Do you include sexual exploitation in this, or purely reproduction?

Hmm, one is kinda tied to the other, isn't it?
Though there's some patriarchal cultures where you get the impression men mostly exploited women (sexually, too) for reproduction, and fucked boys ... Ancient Greece sorta has that kind of reputation.
For most of human history, you can't really separate that ... even nowadays, surrogacy only makes up for a tiny percentage of reproductive exploitation.

I do think things would be different if forced pregnancy wasn't biologically possible. Men also rape other men, but it is not nearly as universal and institutionalized.

But yeah, when it comes to the issues ALL women are affected by, the rape industry definitely is a big thing, that happens in ALL cultures.

user, I'd take reproductive health to mean any health care pertaining to one's reproductive system - so, for women, contraception, abortion services, obs and gynae treatment that actually does women the courtesy of believing what they say about their own bodies and treating them with respect, rather than assuming they are hysterical numpties (early motherhood was a real eye-opener for me: suddenly I was transformed in the eyes of many medical professionals from "intelligent human being" to "mother, probably fussing over nothing"). See for example recent scandals over the E-sure surgical sterilisation device which has left some women needing hysterectomies and the mesh implant treatment for vaginal prolapse which has proved worse than the condition it was meant to treat for many women.

Also, adequate protection from FGM, forced abortion, treatment for fistulas and prolapses. Not to mention campaigning against medical procedures like symphisiotomy (practiced in Ireland in the recent past as an alternative to CS so that a woman's future child-bearing capacity wouldn't be compromised) and getting women who've had this procedure adequate compensation.

The history of obs and gynae is littered with examples of "treatments" which look more like human rights abuses than medical care.

Other women who have bought into the patriarchy and gender roles.

Sexual and reproductive health is one limiting part of being female
Also backward male opinions: at one end religious no at the other expecting women to resemble Kim k

Male violence
Poverty
Reproductive health.

I would once have said that these were the main issues worldwide and things were different in the UK, but the more involved I get in feminism the more I realise how much they affect women here as well, the first two are not talked about as much in general society as issues like career discrimination, and women in poverty are hidden from view - many being elderly, disabled, carers, etc.

I would once have said I only know a few women who have been raped, but since then I have learned it is very very common.

Reproductive autonomy, respectively lack thereof. I think that what it all comes down to in the end. That's what men exploit women for

Probably agree.. Do you include sexual exploitation in this, or purely reproduction?

Yes .. I nearly put 'patriarchy' but I also know it can mean power goes to oldest male in the family and for some reason male power seems clearer and more direct. But it is now my number one.

Reproductive autonomy, respectively lack thereof. I think that what it all comes down to in the end. That's what men exploit women for.

It is the core of patriarchy.

Other things may differ, depending on which patriarchy you look at, but the reproductive expoitation is the common issue.

Yet, or...

1. Patriarchy.

The end.

OP if you want to know more about issues for women in developing countries, this is an excellent book:

www.goodreads.com/book/show/6260997-half-the-sky

Agree ... I'm just having conceptual difficulties telling gender roles, women's oppression and male power apart.

Maybe at number one I'd simply put 'male power'.

Agree, I think I'd include that under gender roles too though... as in "you cannot have an education as this is what your life will be"?

Worldwide I'd say these issues are the same ones, just on a different scale and in a less insidious way

Worldwide I'd add access to education as well does that make me a lib fem

• Gender roles (I'd include marriage/family expectations, wifework, the beauty industry, carer related poverty, casual sexism etc under this)

• Healthcare (including misdiagnosis, poor drugs testing, "hypochondria", "hysterics" and reproductive health (inc abortion) in this)

• Domestic abuse, rape convictions and male violence in general

Worldwide I'd say these issues are the same ones, just on a different scale and in a less insidious way

For me personally the biggest issues have been fighting against social pressure in order to get a career in STEM, and fighting for equal pay once I got there.

More generally, reproductive rights - free contraception and abortion - are near the top of my list.

A recognition that male sexual violence is not a plethora of individual, disconnected, random acts of nature (like being struck by a falling tree), but systemic and interconnected, and propped up by a society which victim blames women, puts women into the category of "sex objects to be used", while taking property crimes more seriously than crimes of violence against human beings.

The way the workplace is set up to favour the 1950s model of man who can "owe his soul to the company store" and demonstrate loyalty by working every hour the flying spaghetti monster sends, while being propped up at home by his wife's unpaid labour - even though almost no-one lives this way any more.

Reproductive rights
Violence against women and girls (I include FGM in this).
The feminisation of poverty (and not just for mothers)
The gendered division of domestic labour (for those in partnerships with men)
Capacity to engage in decision making in the public and private spheres (as opposed to having men make decisions for us or in our name).

Underpinning all of these is the need to secure a biological definition of what is female.

Things like this show how hard women still have it
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-41107982

There are lots of very important issues which have been mentioned on this thread but these from SylviaPoe were ones I came on to post:

Harassment and objectification by girls under 18 by adult males.

Male sexual violence. Male violence in general.

The casual day to day sexism Lurkedforever1 mentions also gets to me and I think "everyday sexism" is very important to challenge. In my opinion all instances of sexism and misogyny need to be opposed, no matter how big or small they may be perceived to be by some.

The way child maintenance is administrated. Pay the pittance legal amount and you are applauded as father of the year, whilst the mother gets all the negatives mentioned up thread. Pay fuck all and you are still viewed as superior to the woman and child/children you've left in poverty. Pay a decent amount and do your fair share and you are a god.

Unless of course it's the mother who is the nrp. In which case the father is a saint no matter what. And the mother could be paying way above and beyond, and shouldering half the care and she'll still be a heartless bitch who dumped her dc.

Casual sexism and the assumption you are less intelligent and less knowledgeable about supposedly complicated man stuff.

OP, there are at least two charities supporting women who are left with a fistula after childbirth. They are well worth a donation, imo.