What is the worst issue confronting middle aged women in 2024

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reproductive choice and bodily autonomy.

Literally nothing else matters.

Middle age women are beyond childbearing years. So why does it matter?

Because we have daughters and nieces that we care deeply about, and don't want anyone having a say over their bodies other than themselves. Abortion is healthcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fact that still, even in 2024, middle age is still culturally a kind of planned obsolescence for women. We still struggle to have the kind of cultural power that would give us a meaningful role in the world after we are past childbearing years.

I'm not saying individual women don't have power or meaning once they hit middle age -- obviously they do. Both at high levels (Angela Merkel) and low levels (my neighbor who runs a consulting business and is well-respected and successful). But the women who do this still have to fight against a strong cultural perception that women no longer matter once they are no longer the future mother to someone's kids (and yes I phrased it that way on purpose).

These old ideas about gender roles die hard.

Maybe they die hard because they have been a key part of the evolution of our species over thousands of years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reproductive choice and bodily autonomy.

Literally nothing else matters.

Middle age women are beyond childbearing years. So why does it matter?

Because we have daughters and nieces that we care deeply about, and don't want anyone having a say over their bodies other than themselves. Abortion is healthcare.

It’s deathcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Capitalism - it’s the root of so many problems - climate change, housing as a commodity instead of a right, rising college costs and student loans, restrictions on women’s health care, expensive health care, cuts to education for our kids, the failed child care market, workplaces that view older workers as less valuable, a limited social safety net for elder care, rising costs of goods, all those bad things. Of course, there are lots of bad things and evils not necessarily derived from capitalism, but it’s the main root problem for most middle aged women in the world.

Uh, no. So many things wrong with this post that the only thing I can suggest is to read a basic book on economics.

OP, for me it's invisibility. I still struggle to 'prove' myself at work in a way that men don't. When I accomplish something credit is given to my boss or a male colleague and I'm literally forgetten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that still, even in 2024, middle age is still culturally a kind of planned obsolescence for women. We still struggle to have the kind of cultural power that would give us a meaningful role in the world after we are past childbearing years.

I'm not saying individual women don't have power or meaning once they hit middle age -- obviously they do. Both at high levels (Angela Merkel) and low levels (my neighbor who runs a consulting business and is well-respected and successful). But the women who do this still have to fight against a strong cultural perception that women no longer matter once they are no longer the future mother to someone's kids (and yes I phrased it that way on purpose).

These old ideas about gender roles die hard.

This right here. In the west, in 2024, it's the best it's ever been for women, but the above is still true.

Yep, couldn't agree more!!! With your post and PPs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that still, even in 2024, middle age is still culturally a kind of planned obsolescence for women. We still struggle to have the kind of cultural power that would give us a meaningful role in the world after we are past childbearing years.

I'm not saying individual women don't have power or meaning once they hit middle age -- obviously they do. Both at high levels (Angela Merkel) and low levels (my neighbor who runs a consulting business and is well-respected and successful). But the women who do this still have to fight against a strong cultural perception that women no longer matter once they are no longer the future mother to someone's kids (and yes I phrased it that way on purpose).

These old ideas about gender roles die hard.

This right here. In the west, in 2024, it's the best it's ever been for women, but the above is still true.

Yep, couldn't agree more!!! With your post and PPs.

The reason that misogyny as a universal political platform is rising is precisely because of the dichotomy you point out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reproductive choice and bodily autonomy.

Literally nothing else matters.

Middle age women are beyond childbearing years. So why does it matter?

Because we have daughters and nieces that we care deeply about, and don't want anyone having a say over their bodies other than themselves. Abortion is healthcare.

So why is that the worst issue for this group of women? That's for all women regardless of age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not being able to purchase the bottom half of the shirt.

In all seriousness, I think it's sandwich generation stuff... raising kids in a time where very hands-on parenting is the norm, often while working a full-time job, while juggling aging parents.

Also, marital division of labor issues in two working-parent families. Many women my age (40) were raised that they could do anything and that has turned into doing everything.

I don't think parents of young children quality as "middle aged" they are younger women with different issues.

Huh? She didn't say young children. I'm decidedly middle aged (47) and I have a kid. I had her when I was older. My dad is 80. My in-laws are almost 80. I consider 40 to be middle-aged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I think it’s the rise of misogyny as an overt political platform of both parties. Both parties are openly throwing themselves into misogyny as a winning electoral issue. It’s frankly terrifying.

What is the Dem misogyny?

The progressive wing of the party has leaned in hard on taking the side of using rape and sexual assault as a weapon of political terror. The refusal to unequivocally condemn the documented sexual violence from Hamas and the silence of progressive women’s organizations (which are all Democrat supporters) on the issue has been extremely demoralizing. I started 10/7 as someone who would have probably said that I am largely aligned with the Democratic progressives on issues related to Israel, but the horrific minimization from that wing of the party of the sexual torture endured by Israeli women and children has been profoundly shocking to me, and just part and parcel of the overall trend of using misogyny as a political platform.

The Democrats have also been leading the charge in eliminating sex-based protections and spaces for women and they seem to be openly pretending that women haven’t been terrorized for millennia because of their biology. This comes up in various contexts, including the self-ID laws that they’ve pushed, and the extreme misogynist reaction to women who point out safety issues for women’s prisons, women’s sports, and other hard-fought spaces of sanctuary for women. A lot of current gender ideology is rooted in extreme misogyny, and the Democrats have leaned in heavily on that.

My political allegiance for years has been to the party that supports women, because I believe that leads to better societies. But I have no home now. Obviously the Republicans are out. But now the Democrats are too. The Democrats seem to have seen how successful misogyny as a platform was for the Republicans and just adopted that approach.

Dem consultant here - don't forget the idea that women candidates don't get the backing they should, which is a way to keep the status quo. They will point to Nancy Pelosi and say, Progress! instead of helping women under 60 get elected. Women's health issues have long gotten tossed under the bus if the other Dem (read: male) has a better chance. Then multiply all of this for queer and women of color.

[Anonymous]

Crop tops

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reproductive choice and bodily autonomy.

Literally nothing else matters.

Middle age women are beyond childbearing years. So why does it matter?

Because we have daughters and nieces that we care deeply about, and don't want anyone having a say over their bodies other than themselves. Abortion is healthcare.

That is their issue. Not yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I think it’s the rise of misogyny as an overt political platform of both parties. Both parties are openly throwing themselves into misogyny as a winning electoral issue. It’s frankly terrifying.

What is the Dem misogyny?

The progressive wing of the party has leaned in hard on taking the side of using rape and sexual assault as a weapon of political terror. The refusal to unequivocally condemn the documented sexual violence from Hamas and the silence of progressive women’s organizations (which are all Democrat supporters) on the issue has been extremely demoralizing. I started 10/7 as someone who would have probably said that I am largely aligned with the Democratic progressives on issues related to Israel, but the horrific minimization from that wing of the party of the sexual torture endured by Israeli women and children has been profoundly shocking to me, and just part and parcel of the overall trend of using misogyny as a political platform.

The Democrats have also been leading the charge in eliminating sex-based protections and spaces for women and they seem to be openly pretending that women haven’t been terrorized for millennia because of their biology. This comes up in various contexts, including the self-ID laws that they’ve pushed, and the extreme misogynist reaction to women who point out safety issues for women’s prisons, women’s sports, and other hard-fought spaces of sanctuary for women. A lot of current gender ideology is rooted in extreme misogyny, and the Democrats have leaned in heavily on that.

My political allegiance for years has been to the party that supports women, because I believe that leads to better societies. But I have no home now. Obviously the Republicans are out. But now the Democrats are too. The Democrats seem to have seen how successful misogyny as a platform was for the Republicans and just adopted that approach.

All of this, plus:

- the progressives in DC are directly responsible for the massive crime and carjacking spike in the city, including the huge increase in sexual assaults. Plus, the victims of violent crime are overwhelmingly BIPOC and female.

The progressives are the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I think it’s the rise of misogyny as an overt political platform of both parties. Both parties are openly throwing themselves into misogyny as a winning electoral issue. It’s frankly terrifying.

What is the Dem misogyny?

The progressive wing of the party has leaned in hard on taking the side of using rape and sexual assault as a weapon of political terror. The refusal to unequivocally condemn the documented sexual violence from Hamas and the silence of progressive women’s organizations (which are all Democrat supporters) on the issue has been extremely demoralizing. I started 10/7 as someone who would have probably said that I am largely aligned with the Democratic progressives on issues related to Israel, but the horrific minimization from that wing of the party of the sexual torture endured by Israeli women and children has been profoundly shocking to me, and just part and parcel of the overall trend of using misogyny as a political platform.

The Democrats have also been leading the charge in eliminating sex-based protections and spaces for women and they seem to be openly pretending that women haven’t been terrorized for millennia because of their biology. This comes up in various contexts, including the self-ID laws that they’ve pushed, and the extreme misogynist reaction to women who point out safety issues for women’s prisons, women’s sports, and other hard-fought spaces of sanctuary for women. A lot of current gender ideology is rooted in extreme misogyny, and the Democrats have leaned in heavily on that.

My political allegiance for years has been to the party that supports women, because I believe that leads to better societies. But I have no home now. Obviously the Republicans are out. But now the Democrats are too. The Democrats seem to have seen how successful misogyny as a platform was for the Republicans and just adopted that approach.

Dem consultant here - don't forget the idea that women candidates don't get the backing they should, which is a way to keep the status quo. They will point to Nancy Pelosi and say, Progress! instead of helping women under 60 get elected. Women's health issues have long gotten tossed under the bus if the other Dem (read: male) has a better chance. Then multiply all of this for queer and women of color.

Yes, agreed. I think this goes to the idea that the Democrats have looked at the successful use of misogyny as a political tool by the Republicans and rather than distancing themselves, have decided to adopt the same tool. Older women in the party such as Pelosi who got there when the Democrats actually cared about women (or at least pretended to care) have done okay, but younger women have largely been frozen out. You can’t build a political platform where misogyny is a major component and also support younger women politically. That just doesn’t work.

[Anonymous]

When you stand up for yourself, you risk being labeled to Karen. That whole label has silenced, middle-aged white women. Yes, there are some horrible women out there, like there are horrible men, but this whole Karen label has been detrimental to your average middle-aged woman who is not horrible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Becoming invisible.

And peri/menopause has been awful for me with the hot flashes and sleep disturbances. Five years after it started, I finally have a doctor helping me address it.

I love being invisible. My life is so peaceful. I feel like I just drift along in my own world oblivious to everyone's drama.

To a point. My mother is now dying of Stage iV cancer because all the doctors blew her off and said all of her issues and aches and pains were due to old aging. Or it was all arthritis. Or worst, just in her head. Being invisible and unheard will shorten her life.

This ^^