Yes I know we've already done the women are not adults thing: when the science guys stop so will I 😘
WELL, GFPs, if you thought it didn't get more exciting than rug-gate, are you in for a surprise. Kind of like I was when THE COPS TURNED UP 😬😬😬. Turns out that the big red button in the bedroom was a panic alarm installed by the previous owners and the AB probably shouldn't have pressed it 🤪
The police who turned up were very nice about it thankfully, but the next day we got a very shirty letter from the police telling us off and *strongly* advising us to NEVER DO IT AGAIN. Only been in the town for 2 weeks and we're already on the cops $h1t-list 😭
In conclusion the AB has been banned from everything forever.
*
In further pressing-massive-red-buttons-that-you-probably-shouldn't-press-but-can't-seem-to-stop-yourself-from-pressing news, we also discovered this mysterious object left behind by the previous owners in a cupboard.
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
OR WHAT????[/caption]
Reader, we opened it. I'm sorry for *gestures at the world*
(Twitter tells me it's a can crusher, which twitter also tells me you actually shouldn't do to your cans)
Why You Shouldn't Crush an Aluminum Can Before Recycling It | Reader's Digest — www.rd.com Not crushing aluminum cans before recycling them may seem wrong, but keeping them whole is actually better for the environment when you recycle cans.
In more relevant and non-haunted-house news, I regret to inform you that the (default male) cardiologists have been at it again.
Rare to see such blatant sexism in the wild these days; usually organisations are savvy enough to at least hid it a bit. Anyway, they did then correct this in response to Dr Dobson’s tweet and she was very gracious about it, but...
...I can't help but notice their attempt to downplay it as “some including women”. Nice try, pal, but no. It was ONLY the women. 🧐
Gender data gap of the week
Oh GFPs, this week's GDGOTW is a DOOZY and it comes via GFP Cecilia:
The study in question is this one, reported by Fast Company:
This 75-year Harvard study found the 1 secret to leading a fulfilling life — www.fastcompany.com
Loyal readers might remember that Fast Company has form here, viz. their crimes against pizza research:
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption]
Anyway, here they are representing research exclusively done on men as gender-neutral:
According to Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one thing surpasses all the rest in terms of importance: “The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”Not how much is in your 401(k). Not how many conferences you spoke at–or keynoted. Not how many blog posts you wrote or how many followers you had or how many tech companies you worked for or how much power you wielded there or how much you vested at each.
No, the biggest predictor of your happiness and fulfilment overall in life is, basically, love.
Is it though.
We have long known that women (in particular women under fifty-five) have worse outcomes than men following heart surgery. But it wasn’t until a Canadian study came out in 2016 that researchers were able to isolate women’s care burden as one of the factors behind this discrepancy. ‘We have noticed that women who have bypass surgery tend to go right back into their caregiver roles, while men were more likely to have someone to look after them,’ explained lead researcher Colleen Norris.
This observation may go some way to explaining why a Finnish study found that single women recovered better from heart attacks than married women – particularly when put alongside a University of Michigan study which found that husbands create an extra seven hours of housework a week for women. An Australian study similarly found that housework time is most equal by gender for single men and women; when women start to cohabit, ‘their housework time goes up while men’s goes down, regardless of their employment status’. (Invisible Women, pp.72-3)
🤔
Meanwhile, if you don't believe me, for I have the heart and stomach of a bitter and twisted women, how about Prof Paul Dolan, who is not only a man, but is ALSO Head of the Department of Behavioural Science at the LSE?
In his latest book Happy Ever After, Professor Dolan points to life satisfaction data which shows that married women are "no more satisfied with life than single women."
🤔🤔🤔
Incidentally, Dolan has a new podcast out, which I am sure will be worth listening to (haven't got round to it yet because *gestures at haunted house* but fully intend to asap. If any GFPs get to it before me, let me know what you think!)
Full disclosure, I took Paul's behavioural econ course when I was at LSE; it was formative for me in developing my default male analysis so, you know, I guess I have a pro Dolan bias I should disclose 🤷♀️.
Anyway, in conclusion I'm not saying women SHOULDN'T fall in love and have a long-term relationship with a man *gestures at last week's newsletter 😃* (yes I am gesturing a lot this week deal with it dot gif), but I am also not saying they SHOULD.
Default Male of the Week
First up, the lawyers are ALSO at it again
😑
Meanwhile, I regret to inform you that cutlery is sexist. It all started with this tweet from GFP Chloe
which drew my attention to *this* tweet by Vicky
Which kind of blew my brain, because *I* also often use a teaspoon and always thought I was just weird, but then I got thinking, and I couldn't help but wonder...
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption]
GFPs, my twitter mentions very much suggest this is A Thing.
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
D.I.V.O.R.C.E. tbqh[/caption]
Meanwhile I have blocked and reported Johnny Cov for this crime against puns
In conclusion:
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption]
Actually Designed for Women's Bodies of the Week
Let me open this week's section by asking for MORE submissions please! I usually put that plea down at the end but I HAVE MY SUSPICIONS you are not all reading to the bitter end 😒
So consider yourselves ON NOTICE: this repository isn't going to grow itself! And if we want companies to actually start designing for us we are going to have to make some noise when they do. So if you ever find yourself using a product that isn't breaking you, hmu!
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption]
Anyway, this week's product is another one I have personal experience with, and it's for all the women who have mega shoulder pain and numb hands when they go for a bike ride...
The Liv bike was, almost inevitably, designed by a woman (another emerging theme of this section WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT IT, EH MR PERIOD GLOVES). The woman in question is Bonnie Tu, who came up with the idea when in 2007 she decided to cycle the Tour of Taiwan and she could not, despite working for A LITERAL BIKE COMPANY, find kit or indeed a bike that worked for her female body.
The result of that experience led her to found the Liv brand: "If [starting Liv] was a business case, it would have never happened because the [women’s] market was so small. Our gut feeling was: half of the world’s population is female – so there should be a market for it.”
Yes, VCs who insist on giving 97% of their money to male-led start-ups because women make products for the "niche" women's market, it's almost like there's some kind of chicken and egg scenario going on here isn't there 🤪
Anyway, Tu got the data together and found that, amazingly enough, default male bikes don't work as well for the female body.
From the Liv website:
Women’s-specific components and overall component selection are important parts of making a bike comfortable and efficient for female riders. Unisex and men’s bikes generally come with components that are more aimed at male riders: wider handlebars, longer cranks, longer stems, and men’s saddles. While you could certainly change out these components to suit your preferences, the balance point, reach and angles of the frame cannot be adjusted by merely changing parts on the bike. Liv bikes are thoughtfully built with women’s-specific saddles that complement the position the rider will be in on the bike, crank lengths that match the size of the frame, handlebar widths that are appropriate for the average shoulder breadth to height ratio, and stem lengths that offer the best handling for female riders.
GFPs -- and you may want to sit down for this -- they even have a whole page DEDICATED TO THE DATA 😍
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
Be still my beating heart [/caption]
I highly recommend clicking on the link to see the page in its full glory, but here is a taster:
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption] [caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption]
Reader, we lived happily ever after 😏
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
[/caption]
Homework of the Week
This one's for British GFPs and it's VERY IMPORTANT: the government has launched a women's health strategy consultation, and I have to say, the presentation is very impressive -- and not just because Matt Hancock actually refers to "male as default" in his introduction. (We're claiming that one.)
The link to the call for evidence is here and the link to the consultation survey is here. If you are responding as an organisation there are other ways to respond, check out link number one for more details.
I cannot stress enough how important it is that as many women as possible respond to this survey, please reply and get as many women as you know to do the same. I would also strongly suggest you save your submission too and, if you feel able to share it publicly as well, do so. Maybe we should create a GFP repository of responses...? If you're into this idea hit reply and let me know! Would be great to have our own mega resource to keep the govt on its toes on this one.
Poppy pic of the week
[caption align="alignnone" width="980"]
Under her paw 🐾[/caption]
That's it! Until next time GFPs...stay single! Unless you're men! xoxoxo