Invisible Women

The opening of this book about how public transport systems have been designed to get men where they need to go (to the city center for work) but not women where we often go (all over neighborhoods caring for people) just blew my mind.

I loved how Criado Perez challenges so many things we take for granted – like why you can go out with a client after work and expense your steak and drinks but not the babysitter you have to hire. Her explanations of how the world is basically designed for men helped me understand why the voice… show more.

In this eye-opening book Caroline Criado Perez considers what happens when we exclude half of humanity from the production of knowledge.

She shares a number of compelling cases, from the design of roads to the crocheting of hyperbolic space, showing the transformative power that comes about when we combine what is traditionally feminine with what is traditionally masculine.

It turns out that when we include women’s ideas and experiences in the design and creation of knowledge, we produce solutions that are more effective, as well as more equitable.

This is one of the most eye-opening books I’ve ever read. Dense and well-referenced, I took my time reading it in order to better absorb the content.

There are many disparities between men and women in all facets of life. We hear about them on a daily basis. But who knew that crash-test dummies are based on the body size, shape, and weight of a man, resulting in more women being seriously injured or dying in a car crash? This example is only the tip of the iceberg.

The list of disparities goes on and on. While vitally important for… show more.

I am pathetically grateful that women’s running shoes have been available now for decades. I thought I already knew this stuff: athletic equipment and personal protection equipment designed exclusively for men, medicines tested on men but not women, and car crash dummies designed to replicate male but not female bodies.

But who knew that snow removal policies could have deeply adverse consequences for women? Or that women are far less likely to be involved in car crashes than men but more likely to be severely injured or killed in one?

In lively, dispassionate, page-turning prose, Criado Perez illuminates these… show more.

This book should be given by all wives to their husbands. Better still, before you accept a marriage proposal, ask your fiancé to first read this book.

Packed with anecdotes and facts, it shows in horrifying detail how much of what is assumed to be universal, as in human rights, is merely that which is determined from the perspective of men. Notwithstanding the tone of the title, it is very readable.

Although others may not agree, I do not see it as a ‘feminist’ book but as simply an unpeeling of the layers of the world we live in and… show more.

Invisible women reminds us, as designers, and responsible citizens, of the biases that exist in everyday society.

Through a series of examples ranging from medical trials to transport systems Criado Perez shows how, what might appear as systems and structures designed for all, are in fact, gender biased. UX Designers inherently know that they are not designing for themselves, but remembering to question established systemic biases is vital in the process.

This book reminds us of the importance of doing that for everyone and understanding the needs of all users. 

This book is a real eye opener. Example after example of hidden gender bias is provided. The author does a very convincing job of showing how data used to make decisions is generally male-centric, with resultant disadvantages for women.

Anyone who believes that feminism has done its job and equality between the sexes is now a reality needs to read this book to see how far off the mark they are. Clearly written and persuasively argued, the book highlights the complexities involved and recognizes that the way bias works is subtle and woven into the social fabric, rather than simply… show more.

Journalist Caroline Criado Perez had me hooked from her opening line: “Seeing men as the human default is fundamental to the structure of human society.”

The “default male” lives at the heart of gender inequity shaping everything from the way snow plowing schedules are designed to the sometimes fatal gender gap in medical research and pharmaceutical development. This incredibly well-researched book shows just how dangerous chronically overlooking women can be.  

This book challenged me greatly on a personal and professional level. Invisible Women reveals how in a world built for and by men we are systematically ignoring half of the population, often with disastrous consequences. It has made me consciously act within our business to ensure we are engaging other perspectives in our decision-making processes. Looking beyond what society, media, and advertising want us to see – Perez encourages us to evaluate how we personally can choose to either perpetuate or work towards a society that’s more equal and that sets things up to bring balance into an unbalanced world.

This book blew my mind over and over again. It goes deep into how we use data and numbers to make decisions and policies, but because we don’t take gender into account when we gather or analyze the data, we’ve built sexism and discrimination into our systems. And it’s everywhere! There is sexism in how bathrooms are built, how snowplowing happens, how knee replacements are made. There are so many situations where I’ve assumed something that feels unfair or doesn’t make sense is just how it is, but this book changed that. At first glance, some of what’s described… show more.