What is the worst issue confronting middle aged women in 2024

[Anonymous]

Missing your deceased parents.

[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.

+1 I'm flabbergasted at how the left thinks allowing males to violate female spaces like sports and bathrooms is the way to go. It's misogynistic. I also agree with the Israel stuff too. It feels like we can't count on the left to protect us anymore, but neither can the right, so . . .

[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.

+1 I'm flabbergasted at how the left thinks allowing males to violate female spaces like sports and bathrooms is the way to go. It's misogynistic. I also agree with the Israel stuff too. It feels like we can't count on the left to protect us anymore, but neither can the right, so . . .

Yeah, it’s been a pretty distressing wake-up call. I mean I always knew the woman-hating Bernie Bro wing of the Democrats existed, but they seem to have taken over the entire party.

[Anonymous]

violating female spaces? Please.

My vote - the fact that we have to keep fighting for the reproductive rights of our daughters and granddaughters. It's sick and pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1 I'm flabbergasted at how the left thinks allowing males to violate female spaces like sports and bathrooms is the way to go. It's misogynistic. I also agree with the Israel stuff too. It feels like we can't count on the left to protect us anymore, but neither can the right, so . . .

Yeah, it’s been a pretty distressing wake-up call. I mean I always knew the woman-hating Bernie Bro wing of the Democrats existed, but they seem to have taken over the entire party.

or, like my husband and adult sons, they actually agree with said females because they're not threatened.

[Anonymous]

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.

[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.

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

[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.

Thank goodness the trans people are here because they are not about gender roles!

[Anonymous]

My maine issues are having to work hard at getting in shape and eyesight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being dismissed and not taken seriously by medical professionals.

But this happened to me when I was younger too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:violating female spaces? Please.

My vote - the fact that we have to keep fighting for the reproductive rights of our daughters and granddaughters. It's sick and pathetic.

Reproductive rights is a very important issue. But once that is fought and won don’t for one instance think that a blind eye will be turned to all the leftist misogyny.

[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.

Thank goodness the trans people are here because they are not about gender roles!

Ironically they reinforce gender roles the most. The dress is always the most feminine or sexy or in your face what they think a woman should be. It’s their idea of what a woman is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being dismissed and not taken seriously by medical professionals.

But this happened to me when I was younger too.

The older you are the more problems you have. Older people are much more likely to be seeking answers to their health concerns and getting the brush off.

[Anonymous]

I’ve never had trouble being taken seriously by medical professionals. I know it’s a problem for a lot of women. I’m not sure why I’ve been lucky in this regard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never had trouble being taken seriously by medical professionals. I know it’s a problem for a lot of women. I’m not sure why I’ve been lucky in this regard.

You may be: rich, connected, beautiful/thin, or part of a community that gives you status.

I was surprised when it started happening to me. But the truth is that women start really losing social status once they start visibly aging past childbearing age. I started noticing people's eyes glazing over when I spoke, even for short periods of time, like they couldn't be bothered to listen or like they assumed I was being dramatic or attention seeking.

I'm in good shape and reasonably attractive but not beautiful, and look my age. I think it's even harder for women who gain weight (everything gets blamed on their weight, they are treated as inherently at fault for all medical issues) but I've seen a real shift in the last 5 years as I've entered my mid-to-late 40s.

This has also happened in other areas of life. I can feel people becoming less interested in me as a person. Not friends or family but neighbors, colleagues, service providers. It's so eye opening because it also changes how I think about how I was treated before. I thought that was just normal, like that was how everyone got treated -- reasonably polite, decent service, respectful. But now I realize I might have been getting deferent treatment because I was perceived as being higher status (thin, attractive, UMC young white woman) and maybe now I'm getting what is actually "average" treatment. I hope it's made me more self-aware -- I work hard not to treat other people as I now get treated because it's demeaning.