Why does society infantilise women so much?

[Youstolemygoddamnhouse]

Just that. Why does society do that?

When discussing age gap relationships, whenever there is an older man in the scenario, comments such as “vulnerable” and “girls” are often used. 21 year old girl or 27 year old girl for example. A girl is a child between the age of 8-13. A woman is a grown adult who is 18 and over. So why use this term? In terms of the word vulnerable, this can mean different things; someone who needs special care or could potentially be exposed to being attacked or harmed, physically or emotionally. Surely all people can be vulnerable not just women? At what age is it okay for a fully grown woman do have a consenting relationship with an older man? Completely understand that there are some men who will use his power to get into a relationship with a younger woman, but not all relationships are like this. And a man could do this to a woman at any age. We don’t view men in the same way. I doubt many people are saying a 27year old man is vulnerable for having a relationship with an older woman. Off topic, but relevant in which women and men are viewed differently. Female teachers who have had relationships with pupils and gone to prison. Lots of comments from men saying they “would love to have had a teacher like that” joking and blaming the boy for not keeping his mouth shut. Whilst you don’t see females making these comments about male teachers.

Women on social media using the phrases girl math, girl dinner, girl hammer, lazy girl jobs and hot girl summer. These can be regarded as harmless fun, a trend not meant to be taking seriously but surely it just highlights how women, not girls are viewed and plays right into the hand of misogyny. It just seems very patronising that we have spent years trying to fight the patriarchy to get us to be taking seriously and the phrases just perpetuate the stereotypes that women are useless children who are can’t look after themselves.

Grown women also say “out with the girls, drinks with the girlies, girls night out” when posting pictures on social media or even in just conversation. Why do we do this? Why is this so normal and accepted. Big girl pants on and big girl job are also phrases used yet I’ve never heard a man say I need to put my big boy pants on are someone else say they need to do that.

At what age do we start treating women like women?

YABU - no, women are not infantilised by society
YANBU - yes, women are infantilised by society.

Something and Yak?? Fucking dreadful.

How lovely. A whole thread with women on it, bashing other women. How they choose to dress, what they say, how they act. Arguing amongst ourselves. Hurray for women kind.

No it's people putting across their views relating to the thread topic. Although it does make a change from a thread blaming men for everything I guess!

Or 13-18..

I presume OP was thinking that they would just be 'teenagers' - but even then, you're either a teenage girl or a teenage boy.

Moreover, that can just add to the potential confusion as somebody aged 18 or 19 is both a teenager and an adult!

We also have 'young people' - or even the old-fashioned (and usually male-skewed) 'youth'.

Even so, if you are 13-17, you are a girl or a boy - that's just a fact, surely?

I think girl as in "girls in the office" is meant more as term of affection than anything else, girls is less formal and as a female myself I don't mind it.
My bugbear with infantilism is people that refer to 17 / 18 year olds as a child, it's something I've seen on community pages recently when someone's 17yr old daughter was mouthing off at a 40yr old in the street, she was asking is it ok for a 40yr old to shout at my 17 year old child! I had a mortgage when I was 18!

Totally agree, I had a mortgage at 18 and it annoys me these days when you get people describing 17 or 18 year olds a child! Often it seems to be done as a way to excuse poor behaviour!

Is this one of those #notlikeotherwomen dressed up as feminism thread?

How is a woman choosing to wear dungarees infantilising women? Is wearing a dress and makeup sexualising women?

Is it that women shouldn't wear things the stereotypical man wouldn't wear?

As a female that has had a hard time trying to.build my career over the years in male dominated industries, the thing I really hate is when the debates start kicking off that women should be allowed time off every month for periods, menopause etc! How does this encourage hiring managers to have a balanced view about hiring women over men!

It's not particularly anything to do with dungarees as dungarees are cool, the issue for me is that some manufacturers think women only want to wear cartoon and kiddy stuff! I used to collect Irregular choice shoes and they were a beautiful work of art and I have shelves with them on display but in recent years it's all become about tacky cartoon collaborations, daft Care bear, my little pony, toy story etc shoes that look frankly ridiculous.

When so many girls are infantilised by their parents it's hard to break the cycle. My MIL brought up 2 capable and independent men who have gone on to be successful adults. The daughter is 40 but still treated like an incapable little girl and sadly is like a girl in a woman's body. She giggles and says "I can't do adulting". She could have been just as capable. Her husband treats her like a princess too.

To be a man or a woman is to be a grown up. We have all been boys and girls and when we want to play we knowingly, jokingly reference our younger irresponsible selves. OK. It is however more dangerous for women as they are up for sexual exploitation, some women use this many women wholly object to it.
We should resist the normalisation of the infantilisation of women because it plays into patriarchal hands. So obvious.
When black men in apartheid America were only ever referred to as ‘boys’, no matter their age, black men took on the word ‘man’ for greetings and that became cool as in ‘hey man?’. If only women would be so bold. So instead of ‘hey girl’ you’d get ‘hey woman’ ? Just doesn’t happen. And men will often refer to women as ‘you ladies’ instead of ‘you women’ and many women think this is respectful, and in fact find being addressed as a woman as insulting. I find being addressed as a lady so cringey, unless it is balanced with gentlemen, in context.
Language is very powerful and we should watch it and protect it.
Women are adult human females. We hopefully one day, will be proud of that, identify with it, defend it and not shore up the patriarchy. till then we will not be taken seriously.

I wouldn't get upset about being called a lady although I would think it a bit old fashioned. Perhaps the reason a lot of men dont get called gentlemen is because they dont act like gentlemen?

'Hey woman' doesnt work the same as 'hey girl' because saying hey girl is more youngsters talk. Not many grown women speak like that. Unless it's in a completely playful way with close friends in which case it's no one's business how they chat to each other.

I honestly find it interesting how frequently you see this behaviour and never in men.

It’s fascinating to me.

Oh men do bash other men too
perhaps the question is more “ do women do it more”

Or the issue is the idea that "cartoons" are only for kids...

There's a big 90s revival at the moment where "classic" things like Rugrats, Care Bears and MLP (which tbf has had a massive adult fanbase for years, and not always in a good way) are in again

I’m with SoupySpoon.

Another thing that really gets my goat is papers like the Daily Fail constantly using words like flaunting, smoulders, turns heads, sizzling. As though women are just in the world as eye candy. I find this more infantilising than occasionally being referred to as a girl.

(Although Christina Herrera’s Good Girl perfume really irritates me.)

This is such an important issue to raise. Worst thing is when girls and grown women being infantilised by their parents. This is just a part of the general misogyny.

One of my friends constantly infantalises herself, it's sickening. Her latest was using the word 'holibobs' when talking about her holiday. I mean just how stupid can you get? Sorry, but with all the other words and phrases she uses I just distance myself, which is sad really but I can't take any more if it. Judgemental, I know.