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7 votes
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The women of the West are making political history — and have been for 130 years
4 votes -
Iceland's international reputation for gender equality comes with a striking caveat – new analysis shows about 40% of women have been sexually or physically assaulted, and many are grappling with PTSD
14 votes -
Anxious Finns are learning how to survive in the wild in preparation for an invasion by their hostile neighbour – meet the women training for war with Russia
14 votes -
As 4B takes the world by storm, South Korea is grappling with a backlash against feminism
28 votes -
The world's most feminist city – how Umeå in Sweden became an idyll for women
7 votes -
Danish initiative to support mothers with postpartum depression has provided a safe, nurturing environment for women to regain their sense of well-being through song
8 votes -
Sports celebrate physical variation—until it challenges social norms
15 votes -
The salty grit of the Haenyeo divers
8 votes -
More Chinese women graduate but jobs and equal pay still elude them: women under-represented in Stem subjects at university and afterwards are quizzed about plans to start a family
19 votes -
The glass door of Wikipedia’s notable people
10 votes -
IUD insertion is painful. For the first time, the CDC issued guidance for US physicians.
58 votes -
The big question touching a nerve this election: "Can my husband find out who I am voting for?"
55 votes -
How medical research is failing women. For years, the process for developing and testing new drugs has focused disproportionately on male bodies — to the detriment of female patients.
25 votes -
Watching my female tenant's life come apart - a dilemma
Ive been in the home rental business for 35 years, enough time to see the same scenario before, but it leaves me just as vexed this time as it has before. The issue is a young couple, about 23...
Ive been in the home rental business for 35 years, enough time to see the same scenario before, but it leaves me just as vexed this time as it has before.
The issue is a young couple, about 23 years old, who have been together for a year. She is openly and admittedly 'madly in love' with her boyfriend, going so far as to announce on the initial walk through, that they want the suite because "its so quiet and peaceful and we are going to have a baby here" A bit too much information.
They were fine during the interview, and all their checks were passable - both former landlords I contacted gave them a thumbs up for paying their rent on time and keeping the place clean. Everything was fine except for his credit score which was very poor - but thats not unusual for someone that young who is still learning how to control their finances.
There is another young couple in the lower suite and they met and exchanged pleasantries and seemed to hit it off initially. But one week in, I got the first text from the basement tenants saying that there was yelling and screaming upstairs. I was startled because it seemed unusual compared to the public face they presented. I asked the tenants to inform me if it happened again. Maybe it was just one very bad day I hoped.
It did happen again. The next day at 5 am they were shouting so loudly that I could hear them over the basement tenants phone. I asked the tenants to call the police because it was domestic violence. They were about to call when everything went quiet again and they chose to wait.
There was a lull for a bit and then the third week I got an early morning text again. This time they were not only yelling at each other, they were screaming at another couple, friends supposedly, who were staying with them. There was loud banging and "it sounded like chairs being thrown around"
I told them to call the police, which they did this time but by the time the police arrived everything was calm again. Moments after they left though, everything erupted and the two guys ended up in a fight on the back lawn, Fists went flying and someone got punched although at this point its unclear who punched whom.
The police were called back and according to the account I got, the boyfriend was arrested. He says he wasn't and the police wont give me the report without his permission.
So yesterday I went to talk to them and inspect the house. I cant see any visible damage however it could easily be hidden by the goods piled against the wall, they're still unpacking as they've only been in for a month.
And then my dilemma begins. I KNOW this is a toxic relationship. Ive met this kind of guy before. Smooth talker, good looking, believes he can charm anyone any time. When I told him about the three reports of excessive noise and violence his first reaction was "it won't happen again" and his second was "I will call the other tenants and explain, Im sure we can work this out"
No buddy, no you cant. Because you're an abuser. And you'll do what all abusers do. You'll try to quiet the noise for a time, try to make your girlfriend use a forced whisper instead of an open cry, but it will only be a matter of a week or two and you're going to lose your temper again and we'll be right back where we are now, but probably even worse, because your character has been exposed.
And then I struggle with my place as a landlord but also as a caring human. I LIKE these people. They were charming and fun to get to know. I did extra work for them, getting new appliances in place because she's a specialty cook and loves to be in the kitchen. I made sure everything was 100% because I wanted them to be happy and have a nice place for them and if it happened, their new baby.
But now Im very concerned for her future. She doesnt seem to realize just how deep she is into this toxic mess of a relationship. His comment was 'we fight like most couples' and I abruptly cut him off: "NO! NOT like most couples! Most couples dont wake up the neighbors at 5 am with a screaming match and have a fist fight on the lawn where the cops get called" He looked slightly sheepish for a second and then went right back to his charm defense, saying he would work it out and they just needed 'another chance'.
The reason I think I may want to say more is because of Mercedes. She and her boyfriend rented from me about 10 years ago. It was the same scenario - charming, good looking but very angry boyfriend who lost his temper and went around the house damaging walls and smashing a porcelain sink. He was so rabid I actually brought a friend along to give them their eviction notice because I feared for my safety. That wasnt unjustified and his rage was palpable and extremely scary.
But when he was out of the room I asked Mercedes if she was ok. She said she was nervous, scared, but ok. I said 'I hope you're not going to go with him when he leaves' and she shook her head. The light bulb had come on. "No, the second he's out the door Im out of here. I hope I never see him again." Thank god she was finally seeing things clearly.
I came across her again a year ago online and just sent a friendly hello and if she remembered me and the house. She not only remembered me, she thanked me for helping her escape her hellish relationship. She said she was now in a very good and loving relationship and she couldn't believe how blind she was to even move in with Mr. Toxic in the first place. She said their eviction was a important turning point in her life.
And I see Mercedes in this new tenant. Im just not sure she realizes what she's got herself into. Or else she does and she's not sure how to get out because I cant imagine how violent his reaction would be if she tried to leave.
Which leaves me stuck. They are new to this area. They said they dont have many friends and family is a long way away, so there's no one close who is seeing what the basement tenants and I saw. And we're not sure what to do. The basement tenants are so scared of him they dont even want to be in the same house.
What do you say or not say to someone in this situation? Saying nothing seems irresponsible. Saying too much seems dangerous at least to her safety. So... what do you do? How do I figure out if she even wants help? And if I say something too soon, or too late, he may turn on her and get even more violent...
69 votes -
Mexico elects first female president − but will that improve the lot of country’s women?
23 votes -
Weighing in on "Man or Bear" - from a woman that left society to the Alaskan wilderness
59 votes -
Toward a feminist criminal law: Mass incarceration means police and prisons are not simple allies for feminists who want a more just world
14 votes -
‘Mitzvah night is cancelled’. Inside the sex strike that has infuriated husbands and shaken the ultra-Orthodox world.
55 votes -
China's unmarried 'leftover' women
18 votes -
The Day Iceland Stood Still | Trailer
8 votes -
The rise and fall of the trad wife: Alena Kate Pettitt helped lead an online movement promoting domesticity. Now she says, “It’s become its own monster.”
39 votes -
US President Joe Biden just signed the largest executive order focused on women’s health
23 votes -
Denmark's tough laws on begging hit Roma women with few other options – the Roma minority are heavily discriminated against across Europe
21 votes -
On International Women's Day, Northern European countries stand out for women who are looking to develop their careers – Iceland secured the top spot
3 votes -
Denmark has pledged to put up more statues of women, with the country's culture minister saying the capital has “more statues of mythical beasts and horses”
12 votes -
UK academic’s Wikipedia project raises profile of women around the world
15 votes -
How a woman named “Steve” became one of Britain’s most celebrated IT pioneers, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists
13 votes -
Booktok and the hotgirlification of reading
19 votes -
Sweden has consistently reported some of the lowest rates of maternal and child mortality in the world – unfortunately these achievements don't extend to foreign-born mothers
15 votes -
I don't understand the appeal of referring to Men™ when you mean Shitty Men™, and I'd like to understand
It's something I've wondered about for a while, but I wasn't sure how to have a constructive conversation about it. For clarity's sake, I am talking about the common social-media post of a woman...
It's something I've wondered about for a while, but I wasn't sure how to have a constructive conversation about it. For clarity's sake, I am talking about the common social-media post of a woman talking about a terrible experience with a particular man or group of men and framing it around "Men are shitty". To be clear, I understand that is said in specific context and rarely does the person mean it literally. My question is about the appeal in the first place. As a personal example, I've been hurt by many women, but the idea of ever saying "Women are shitty." makes me feel mega-ick. So I'm genuinely curious to understand why some people find that kind of language cathartic or useful in some way?
24 votes -
Families find ways around Taliban restrictions on girls’ education
15 votes -
The women who broke the silence about the terrifying organization that trapped and abused them during Spain’s dictatorship
8 votes -
OECD urges Denmark to address gender stereotypes in education and suggested introducing quotas to get more women in top management
5 votes -
A feminist manifesto
14 votes -
What would Sandra Day O’Connor have thought about affirmative action for men?
12 votes -
Who determines Kate Cox’s health care
22 votes -
How millennials learned to dread motherhood
50 votes -
Jezebel and the question of women’s anger
33 votes -
The eternal allure of Engagement Chicken: Feminist backlash and the food of marriage
21 votes -
Some call us ungrateful middle-class feminists – but this is why women went on strike in Iceland
26 votes -
90% of women in India are shut out of the workforce
21 votes -
Denmark leads the Women Peace and Security Index 2023/24, scoring more than three times higher than Afghanistan at the bottom of the scale
14 votes -
Seeking advice: How have you navigated misogyny in the workplace?
After a recent incident I've had with a male colleague at work this past week, I feel lost and downtrodden on how to move forward in my career. I've experienced various forms of misogyny in most...
After a recent incident I've had with a male colleague at work this past week, I feel lost and downtrodden on how to move forward in my career. I've experienced various forms of misogyny in most roles I've held, but this has been the worst offense I've encountered. It honestly has me sick with stress and I feel so alone in how to handle it.
For context, I am often the only woman on meetings and regularly have to lead groups of all men. I've done this all throughout my career and have accepted it as a norm. While I have encountered issues in the past, never anything as egregious as what I dealt with the other day. I am often having to verify and source technical information to ensure project items are on track and this requires me to connect with various individuals. When some recent concerns were brought forward for an ongoing project, I was continually given the runaround by this male colleague. Due to days passing and the lack of cohesion for the issue of concern, I attempted to have a group discussion amongst the relevant folks.
This action sent that male colleague into an absolute rage of which I was the target. An action that I have regularly done for months without issue and is a run-of-the-mill thing for communication was misinterpreted by him. Instead he viewed it as an attack and ran to my lead to accuse me of running to higher-ups to assert he isn't doing his work properly; a completely opposite story from what I had done. This male colleague proceeded to yell at me like an abusive ex and is proceeding with excluding me out of important discussions. My lead is also male and due to this male colleague running to him first, he sided with him when I attempted to connect about how I was treated. When talking with both men to explain or try to understand their perspective, I was continually talked over, hushed, and essentially silenced into submission. I was told I am now a risk to team cohesion and that I am causing problems when I have been receiving nothing but praise from all others for my work.
I'm honestly so distraught from this experience and the lack of support from my lead. Each meeting with the male colleague that screamed at me has me on edge and I feel sick when determining how to get the answers I need for my work. Instead I am having to find a way to get placed on another project and the stress of sorting this with my company's HR. My confidence in my capabilities feels wounded and I am filled with anxiety now even when talking about topics I am familiar with. I am struggling to move past this and have the energy to find something better.
For those of you who have experienced similar misogyny in the workplace, how did you overcome incidents like these? How did you stop feeling so broken by how it affected you? I'm so worried about landing another project or job that will have these same issues and I really don't know if I can take being treated by men like this in the professional world anymore. How do you interview or gage a company to determine you won't encounter this again? I am so bitter of continually seeing men have this behavior, yet have been rewarded in their careers by being elevated to positions of authority. Any advice, sharing of wisdom, or any support would be greatly appreciated.
45 votes -
PM Katrín Jakobsdóttir will take part in Iceland's first full-day womens strike in forty-eight years – calling for pay equality and action on gender-based violence
12 votes -
"Rabbit Test" by Samantha Mills
59 votes -
What happens when a woman chooses career dominance over her relationship
24 votes -
Woman denied medication for being of childbearing age
59 votes -
Is multiculturalism bad for women? (1997)
6 votes -
Harassment and abuse perceived to harm poor women less − new research finds a ‘thicker skin’ bias
16 votes