Invisible Women

1. The Gender Data Gap: A Pervasive and Dangerous Blind Spot

Failing to collect data on women and their lives means that we continue to naturalise sex and gender discrimination – while at the same time somehow not seeing any of this discrimination.

Invisible women. The gender data gap refers to the absence of sex-disaggregated data in various fields, from urban planning to medical research. This gap leads to a world designed for men, by default, often at the expense of women's safety, health, and equality.

Real-world consequences. The impact of this data gap is far-reaching:

• In car design: Women are 47% more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash due to safety features designed around the male body.
• In medicine: Drugs are often tested primarily on male subjects, leading to incorrect dosages and potentially harmful side effects for women.
• In urban planning: Public spaces and transportation systems often fail to account for women's unique travel patterns and safety concerns.

Root causes. The gender data gap stems from:

• Historical bias: The long-standing view of the male as the "default human"
• Lack of representation: Women's underrepresentation in decision-making roles
• Failure to recognize the importance of sex-disaggregated data

2. Male as Default: How Language and Design Perpetuate Bias

When we exclude half of humanity from the production of knowledge we lose out on potentially transformative insights.

Language matters. The use of male-centric language, such as the generic "he" or male-default terms, reinforces the idea of male as the norm and female as the exception. This linguistic bias extends to various fields, including science, technology, and everyday communication.

Design bias. The male-as-default mindset infiltrates product design, often with serious consequences:

• Smartphones: Designed for the average male hand size, making them difficult for many women to use one-handed
• Personal protective equipment: Often ill-fitting for women, compromising their safety in various professions
• Voice recognition software: Frequently less accurate for female voices due to male-biased training data

Cultural reinforcement. Media and educational materials often perpetuate male-centric narratives:

• History textbooks predominantly featuring male figures and perspectives
• Children's books and movies with male protagonists outnumbering female ones
• Tech and gaming industries catering primarily to male preferences and experiences

3. The Myth of Meritocracy: Unmasking Hidden Gender Barriers

Male-dominated funding panels may also explain why we have so few drugs available for uterine failure.

Systemic bias. The belief in a pure meritocracy ignores the systemic barriers women face in education, employment, and career advancement. This myth perpetuates gender inequality by attributing women's underrepresentation to lack of merit rather than structural issues.

Hidden barriers. Women encounter numerous obstacles that are often invisible to men:

• Unconscious bias in hiring and promotion decisions
• Lack of mentorship and networking opportunities
• The "double bind" of being perceived as either competent or likable, but rarely both
• Expectations of unpaid care work interfering with career advancement

Tech industry example. Silicon Valley's gender disparity illustrates these issues:

• Women make up only 25% of the tech industry's employees and 11% of executives
• Female-led startups receive significantly less venture capital funding
• "Pattern recognition" in VC funding favors male entrepreneurs who fit the stereotypical mold

4. Women's Unpaid Work: The Invisible Foundation of Society

Globally, 75% of unpaid work is done by women, who spend between three and six hours per day on it compared to men's average of thirty minutes to two hours.

Economic impact. Women's unpaid work, including childcare, eldercare, and household management, is essential to the functioning of society and the economy. However, it remains largely unrecognized and unvalued in economic measures like GDP.

Consequences of invisibility:

• Reduced female participation in the paid workforce
• Lower lifetime earnings and increased poverty risk for women
• Perpetuation of gender roles and stereotypes
• Inadequate social policies to support caregivers

Policy implications. Recognizing and valuing unpaid work is crucial for gender equality:

• Implementing paid family leave policies
• Providing affordable, high-quality childcare
• Encouraging equal distribution of unpaid work between genders
• Incorporating unpaid work into economic measures and policy decisions

5. Gender-Biased Medicine: Risking Women's Lives Through Ignorance

We have long known that women are more likely to be dismissed as 'emotional' or 'psychosomatic' than men – but perhaps even more shockingly, this is still going on in the twenty-first century.

Male-centric research. Medical research has historically focused on male subjects, leading to a lack of understanding of how diseases, drugs, and treatments affect women differently.

Dangerous consequences:

• Misdiagnosis of heart attacks in women due to "atypical" symptoms
• Inappropriate drug dosages for women, leading to adverse reactions
• Overlooking female-specific health issues, such as endometriosis
• Dismissal of women's pain and symptoms as psychosomatic

Addressing the gap. Steps to improve women's healthcare:

• Mandating inclusion of women in clinical trials
• Sex-disaggregated analysis of medical data
• Education of healthcare providers on gender differences in health
• Increased funding for research on women's health issues

6. Designing a Man's World: How Urban Planning Fails Women

The gender data gap is both a cause and a consequence of the type of unthinking that conceives of humanity as almost exclusively male.

Male-biased infrastructure. Urban planning and design often fail to consider women's needs and experiences, resulting in cities that are less safe, accessible, and convenient for women.

Key issues:

• Transportation systems designed around male commuting patterns
• Public spaces that feel unsafe for women, especially at night
• Inadequate public toilet facilities for women
• Lack of consideration for caregiving responsibilities in urban design

Innovative solutions. Some cities are addressing these issues:

• Vienna's gender-mainstreaming approach to urban planning
• Barcelona's superblocks designed to prioritize pedestrians and community spaces
• London's "Hopper fare" for bus transfers, benefiting women's complex travel patterns

7. Crisis and Conflict: The Disproportionate Impact on Women

When things go wrong – war, natural disaster, pandemic – all the usual data gaps we have seen everywhere from urban planning to medical care are magnified and multiplied.

Heightened vulnerability. During crises, existing gender inequalities are exacerbated, putting women at greater risk of violence, poverty, and health issues.

Key areas of concern:

• Increased domestic violence during conflicts and disasters
• Disproportionate economic impact on women in post-crisis situations
• Higher mortality rates for women in natural disasters
• Inadequate consideration of women's needs in refugee camps and disaster relief efforts

Addressing the gap. Strategies to improve crisis response:

• Sex-disaggregated data collection in crisis situations
• Inclusion of women in decision-making for crisis planning and response
• Gender-sensitive disaster relief and refugee policies
• Targeted support for women's economic recovery post-crisis

8. Closing the Gap: The Crucial Role of Female Representation

When women are involved in decision-making, in research, in knowledge production, women do not get forgotten. Female lives and perspectives are brought out of the shadows.

Power of representation. Increasing women's representation in leadership roles across all sectors is crucial for addressing the gender data gap and its consequences.

Key benefits:

• More gender-sensitive policies and practices
• Increased attention to women's issues and needs
• Diverse perspectives leading to more innovative solutions
• Breaking down stereotypes and biases

Strategies for change:

• Implementing gender quotas in politics and corporate boards
• Supporting women's education and career advancement in STEM fields
• Promoting gender-diverse teams in research and product development
• Encouraging men to be allies in the fight for gender equality

Last updated: January 22, 2025