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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Invisible women by Caroline Criado Perez

17 replies

Notevenmyrealname · 07/03/2019 09:31

I preordered and have downloaded the audiobook today and am listening to it while I go about my day. Anybody else got / getting this book?

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nettie434 · 07/03/2019 09:35

I heard her talking to Jeni Murray on Woman's Hour. It sounds good. Are you enjoying it (not sure if enjoying is right word given the topic!)

Notevenmyrealname · 07/03/2019 09:56

It’s fascinating. I’ve already had a moment where I wanted to shout out in anger, but I was in public so thought probably best not to. She’s explaining everything so clearly and has been very clear to say that she isn’t going to speculate why each individual example occurs (ie specific sexism or just accidental) but I’m sure there will be people who take offence.

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rosablue · 07/03/2019 09:59

It’s my birthday soon and dh has already been instructed to get it for me. Didn’t hear the radio interview but but have seen several reviews/articles about it so am looking forward to it.
I studied ergonomics many years ago and many of the issues raised in the articles were known issues that were supposedly in hand and being sorted then. Saddened but not shocked that 30 years down the line it’s still the case.

Hockneypool · 07/03/2019 10:04

I’m seeing her talk in Glasgow at the end of the month along with Gina Ripon on the gendered or non gendered brain. So looking forward to it.

rosablue · 07/03/2019 10:26

Just remembered one of the examples that I hadn’t heard before that really stuck out - that when they were testing viagra for its original use they discovered it was seriously good at helping bad period pains that other pain killers didn’t work on, as well as helping men with erectile dysfunction. Guess which side effect was deemed absolutely necessary to do future research on (and led to those little blue pills) to make life a bit more fun and which got shut down as being completely unnecessary despite having the potential to make life significantly better for the millions of women that suffer from crippling period problems every month...

@Mumsnet - any chance you could do a session/interview/guest post/etc with the author on this topic?

nettie434 · 07/03/2019 13:13

I’m seeing her talk in Glasgow at the end of the month along with Gina Ripon on the gendered or non gendered brain. So looking forward to it.

Wow Hockneypool, what a line up. Hope you post an update on the evening and, of course, hope you have a great time.

Hockneypool · 07/03/2019 17:32

Yes Nettie will do an update - it’s not until 30 March. It’s part of the Glasgow Aye Write book festival.

JassyRadlett · 07/03/2019 17:33

There’s a great Red Box podcast with her, Rachel Sylvester and Anne Ashworth this week too.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/03/2019 18:47

I’m seeing her talk in Glasgow at the end of the month along with Gina Ripon on the gendered or non gendered brain

Ooh! Thanks for the heads up

JillyBoel · 07/03/2019 19:33

Also in Cambridge, 6th April:
www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com/whatson/caroline-criado-perez/

Notevenmyrealname · 08/03/2019 02:35

The talk in Glasgow sounds amazing, you’ll have to let us know how it goes afterwards. I also second the suggestion to have her give an interview or answer Q and As

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CaptainWarbeck · 08/03/2019 08:00

I also listened to WH and heard the stats about more female car injuries because the crash dummies are all male averages.

I'm tempted to buy the book - is there a lot more in there than she covered in interviews?

Notevenmyrealname · 08/03/2019 10:14

The introduction gives loads of examples of “generic male” and how anything female is niche including language and how subjects are taught in school. Really interesting.

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Hockneypool · 07/04/2019 10:00

Sorry I forgot to post an update from last Saturdays session in Glasgow.

It was a question and answer session with Caroline Criado-Perez and Gina Rippon. It was excellent with both Caroline and Gina ranting a bit! But both are very clear thinkers and speakers.

So Caroline spoke about how women are invisible in research and design for everything from medicine and drugs, to design and technology. That how women live their lives is forgotten, ignored and overlooked. And as a result women try to fit into a world that takes no account of their needs. The impact can be disastrous. With things like seat belts harming or killing women because they are designed and tested on men who are generally larger and heavier.

Or drugs that don’t work for women or worse. She gave an example of anti depressants, which more women take then men. No consideration was/ is given to the impact of the menstrual cycle. So during a month the dose can range from too little, to not enough,and in some cases could result in cardiac arrest.

The research around the brain that Gina talked about was the complete opposite. But the focus of looking at female brains is to try and find differences that can be interpreted as making female brains inferior to male brains. Gina said the differences between the two brains though were very small compared to the similarities.

Notevenmyrealname · 07/04/2019 14:40

I’d definitely like to read Gina Rippon’s book next and I hope they do talks together in other parts of the country. It sounds really interesting. I finished Invisible Women and like every reviewer I’ve read I had moments of rage at how much women are overlooked and plenty of aha moments.

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stealthsquirrelnutkin · 07/04/2019 15:50

I have the audiobook version, it is brilliant. I think it should be taught in schools and be obligatory reading for anyone involved in medicine, politics, planning, law enforcement, and any job that interfaces with humanity.

Infuriatingly I suspect that it will be considered "niche" and like so many other brilliant books and research work by women it will sink into oblivion very quickly since the message is uncomfortable for those who benefit from minimizing female concerns.

The last book that I read that effected me similarly was Loving to Survive, sexual terror, male violence and women's lives. by Dee Graham. www.scribd.com/document/113372799/Loving-to-Survive-Graham-pdf

As I read it so many things fell into place, it gives a valid explanation of why it takes women so long to recognise domestic abuse and to leave their abuser, and also why so many unenlightened women judge other women harshly and are eager to denigrate feminists, while enthusiastically signalling their compliance with the prevailing male-centric social mores. I honestly thought that book was going to make a real difference to how women were seen and treated, because once the knowledge was revealed and made public attitudes would have to change. It certainly made a huge difference to those of us recovering from the aftermath of male violence and sexual abuse, but like the majority of books by and about women it quickly fell into obscurity.

With women's bookshops gone and consciousness raising groups a distant memory perhaps we need a digital women's liberation library to store these treasures and ensure that they remain available to new generations?

LucretiaBourgeois · 07/04/2019 16:18

Both Gina Rippon and Caroline Criado-Perez will also be talking (on different days) at the Hay Book Festival if anybody is thinking of being there.

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