I read quite a few stories talking about being called “babe” or “sweetheart” by strangers. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves. I am a 21 year woman. I work in the electrical trades. I work hard. My boss (english guy, calls EVERYONE- even the guys- pet names like poppet, sweety, sugar pie) is a good guy. It doesnt bother me since he calls everyone the names, and never EVER treats me any differently than the guys. He expects me to do just as much physical work as them and holds me to the same standard. Once he called me princess though. Not cool with me. so I said: “I am not a princess.” to which he said “in a land of trolls- implying my coworkers- you sure are!” so I replied “no. princesses are born into wealth. they sit on their asses all day looking pretty waiting for their prince to sweep them off their feet. I am an electrician. I work my ass off 10 hours a day. I climb up 40 foot ladders in the rain. I EARN my money. I am not a princess.” he stuck with “sparky” as my pet name after that.

I was waiting for my friends outside a bar. A group of men approached me and jokingly asked if I was a prostitute, and one of them mimed throwing money at me. 1. Though it was clear they did not truly believe I was a sex worker, it’s not a good look to denigrate the women who actually are. 2. Approaching a lone woman at night and making sexual comments at her expense is SUPER FUCKING THREATENING. It doesn’t matter how “jokey” you are.

Over the years, I’ve been in many doctors’ offices. Especially since I developed a chronic health problem. I’ve been to countless GPs, walk-in clinics, physiotherapists and athletic therapists, rheumatologists and athletic trainers. And I’ve noticed an unsettling trend. And it’s not a trend that’s being discussed online, as far as I can tell (I’ve used many key word searches to determine this). All these offices had charts that show the muscular system. EVERY SINGLE ONE of these charts depicted the muscular system of men. Despite women’s bodies being different than men’s. Women were nowhere to be found. Like with many things, male had been determined to be the “default human,” and no thought was given to including women at all. Since noticing this trend, I’ve starting asking doctors whether they considered also having a poster of the female muscular system on the wall, and almost all have said, “I’ve never really thought of it.” One female doctor said, “We don’t want to be putting female bodies up on the wall,” and wrinkled her nose as though there would be something perverted about doing that. I looked online, and female muscular charts do exist. Doctors just aren’t ordering them for some reason. And when you look at the charts themselves, some really odd differences become evident (apart from the muscles themselves). The female chart says “The Female Muscular System.” The male chart just says “The Muscular System.” They didn’t include “Male” in the male muscular system chart. Its clear implication is that the “typical” muscular system is male; the “other” muscular system needs to be highlighted as being female. This is yet another example of female “otherness.” As well, the man stands solidly, with fists at his sides; the picture of strength. The woman stands with one leg bent, her toe touching the ground and her hands open and unthreatening. I’ve brought this observation up before and been looked at like I was a lunatic. I’ve stopped bringing it up, because inevitably, I expect to hear the response that women are fighting REAL issues in other countries, while North American women are nitpicking little details like this. But you and I know that these charts are one small example in a mountain of examples of women being depicted as less important than men. Women are bombarded with things like this so frequently that I think they barely register, but they’re subconsciously processed so that women internalize the belief that women have less value. I didn’t know where to go with this observation, which hasn’t been brought up anywhere that I could find. Thanks for providing a venue for me to share this. The Female Muscular System chart: https://smhttp-aww-17174.nexcesscdn.net/media/catalog/product/cache/9/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/9/7/9781587795633.JPG The Muscular System chart: https://smhttp-aww-17174.nexcesscdn.net/media/catalog/product/cache/9/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/9/7/9781587790362.JPG

Every girl I know has a male acquaintance or friend that is “touchy” and always makes her feel uncomfortable. Personally, one of my boyfriend’s friends always touches my waist in a way that other guys wouldn’t typically but when I bring it up, the guys brush it off as weird, but not an issue.

I worked as a bank teller for a couple years part-time while finishing my accounting degree. One older male customer was known for asking the young female tellers, “what is a pretty girl like you doing working in a place like this?” I always laughed it off but I wanted to say: “Because I’m smart and independent. Because I have my own bills to pay. Because my physical appearance shouldn’t be the reason for the choice in my career.” It makes me so sad to see males who believe that if a woman is attractive, this should allow her to have a “good man” who will take care of her so she doesn’t have to work… as if working is only for “unattractive” women. This type of thinking is also perpetuated by the idea that attractiveness and intelligence are mutually exclusive in women, but not in men. The last time I checked, working in a bank or in any other professional job should be on the basis of knowledge and skills, not how attractive another person thinks you are.

A couple years ago I was groped by a stranger in a very busy and full subway car. He squeezed my ass for about 5 stations until I finally got off the train. I was frozen with fear and humiliation; I was terrified that he might try to follow me when I got off. When I got home and told my then-boyfriend about what had happened, he said I was stupid and it was my fault cause I didn’t “fight back”.

everyday (at school), I hear people (mostly boys), laughing about femenism and I know they say it in joke but they usually make bad calls about it, saying that its a disorder. i think it makes people feel bad for being feminist and i personally feel that if i say i’m a feminist, i will look way to intense and way to drastic.

When the big smart men at work only email other big smart men. When I’m in a group conversation with even one other man and everyone around the table makes eye contact and only seems to be talking to him. When society tells you something is bad for a pregnant woman and people are shocked and offended when you want to actually research it instead of relying on society’s perceived right to tell a pregnant women what to do. When we put ourselves down and convince ourselves that we are unlovable because of who we are right now. Now a days, when someone writes “he” instead of “they” as though including the entire human race by adding two letters was just way too much to ask. When women joke that its “a penis-only meeting” or “if only I brought my penis with me today”. When women build each other up, intentionally and genuinely. Female friendships where when you admit you just ate an entire bag of chips and it will be met with a text of the chocolate cake they just devoured. When white women step the fuck back and think about their privilege and act in solidarity with women of colour. Women whose awesomeness is inspiring. My mom.

Was walking home just now, and felt a car creeping along just behind me. I looked straight ahead and waited for it to pass. This was an alleyway but there was a curb/walk alongside the church that I was walking by, so I knew I was in no physical danger of being hit by passing cars. The man creeps his car closer and rolls down his window. In an overly friendly tone he asks “why are you going down the lane” I turn to look at him. “I’m going to my house. ” I guess this is blunt for him or something, I try not to motion in any specific direction because now im worried about this guy following me all the way there. He looks affronted. “You shouldn’t walk here alone. It’s not safe. It’s not a good idea. ” he’s still driving his car next to me. he sounds a bit mad while I can only assume he thinks himself helpful there’s some menace in his voice and I find myself watching where he parks because I know he’s a neighbor of mine. I’ve been harassed on a weekly basis since I moved to toronto but for the first time I’m so mad and scared I break down as soon as he drives off.

There is a summer dress that I particularly like – what woman does not have a favourite dress anyway? OK, it has a low neckline but not profanely by any standard. However, it often invites some sort of street harassment when I wear it, even with a cardigan over. There was a car passing by me honking, and some brute was shouting at me to give a smile. A cyclist held out his arm in an attempt to touch me as soon as he saw me walking towards him. At a farmer’s market, an old street bum whispered to me as he quickly walked by: ‘Nice set of twins.’ His tone was so creepy that it still gives me the goosebumps when I think of it. I think twice and thrice whenever I feel like putting on that dress. Is it worth it?