A Husband’s Experience Reading “Invisible Women”
More husbands would buy this if it were written by one
As I sat on the couch next to my wife, flipping through the pages of “Invisible Women” by Caroline Criado Perez, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt wash over me. As a husband, it had never really occurred to me just how much gender inequality still exists in the world — and how much of it I had unknowingly contributed to and benefited from.
As I read on, I was struck by the allegory Perez uses at the beginning of the book: Imagine a world where all the streets are designed for men’s bodies. Men’s bodies are the default, and everything else is an afterthought.
As I thought about this allegory, I realized that in many ways, this is exactly what our world is like. Women’s bodies and needs are often not taken into consideration in the design and creation of products, services, and systems — and as a result, women often face daily challenges and obstacles that men simply do not.
One particularly striking example that Perez highlights is the design of cars. In crash test dummies, men’s bodies are used as the default, with women’s bodies being significantly underrepresented.
This means that when a car is designed and tested, it is more likely to protect a man’s body in a crash than a woman’s. In fact, according to Perez, “women are 47% more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash than men.”
As a man, this statistic was eye-opening for me. I had always assumed that car safety standards were designed to protect everyone equally — but clearly, that is not the case. And this is just one example of the countless ways in which women’s bodies and needs are overlooked and underrepresented.
But it’s not just physical products and systems that discriminate against women — it’s also the way that data is collected and analyzed. Perez highlights the fact that in many studies, data is collected and analyzed based on the average man, with women’s bodies and experiences being considered an afterthought.
This means that many products and treatments that are designed and marketed towards women may not actually be effective for their bodies and needs.
One particularly disturbing example of this is the fact that the majority of heart attack research has been conducted on men, with the assumption that heart attacks present the same way in both men and women. As a result, women are often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all, leading to higher mortality rates for women.
As I read through “Invisible Women,” it became clear to me that gender inequality is a deeply ingrained and widespread issue that affects every aspect of women’s lives. And as a husband, I realized that I had a responsibility to do my part in addressing and correcting this inequality.
One quote from the book that particularly resonated with me was: “It is not enough to simply not discriminate. We must actively work to correct the imbalances and injustices that have been allowed to persist.”
I realized that as a man, I have a unique position of privilege and power — and it is my responsibility to use that privilege and power to make a positive impact. This means speaking up when I see inequality, supporting and uplifting women in my life, and actively working to create a more just and equal world.
In conclusion, “Invisible Women” by Caroline Criado Perez is a powerful and eye-opening book that highlights the countless ways in which gender inequality still persists in our world. As a husband, reading this book has been a wake-up call for me, and I am committed to doing my part in creating a more equal and just world for all.
