Invisible Women

Book summary

Caroline Criado Perez is a writer and feminist activist from the UK. She recently campaigned against the removal of the only woman other than the Queen from UK banknotes, and for more statues of female historical figures to be erected in London’s Parliament Square. She’s been honored with an OBE for her work promoting diversity and equality in the media.

The chapter explores how the gender data gap—stemming from the assumption that men represent the default—manifests across various domains, from urban planning to healthcare. It highlights how male-centric policies and designs, such as snow-clearing schedules, transportation systems, and everyday tools, disproportionately disadvantage women. Examples include smartphones designed for male hand sizes, public restrooms that fail to meet women’s needs, and GDP calculations that exclude unpaid domestic labor, undervaluing women’s contributions. The consequences extend to safety and health, with crash tests and medical trials often excluding female-specific data, leading to flawed standards and outcomes. These systemic oversights reveal a persistent bias that prioritizes male needs, underscoring the urgent need for inclusive data and design. The next chapter delves deeper into how these biases impact women’s health and safety on a broader scale.

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