10 Ways Toxic Femininity Is Affecting Society
Perpetuating Gender Stereotypes Toxic femininity reinforces outdated gender roles that dictate how women and men should behave.
Promoting Passive-Aggressiveness Encouraging women to be indirect in expressing their needs or dissatisfaction fosters passive-aggressive behavior.
Encouraging Victimhood Emphasizing victimhood can undermine women's agency and resilience. When women are encouraged to see themselves primarily as victims of society or their circumstances
Undermining Other Women Toxic femininity can manifest in competitive behavior among women, such as gossiping or undermining others to get ahead.
Stigmatizing Ambition Ambitious women are often labeled negatively as being "too aggressive" or "unfeminine."
Promoting Unrealistic Beauty Standards Toxic femininity upholds unrealistic beauty standards that can lead to body image issues, eating disorders, and low self-esteem.
Discouraging Assertiveness Women are often socialized to be agreeable and accommodating, discouraging assertiveness.
Supporting Over-Nurturing The expectation that women should always be nurturing and self-sacrificing can lead to burnout and resentment.
Inhibiting Emotional Expression Toxic femininity can also restrict women from expressing a full range of emotions, particularly anger or frustration, which are often deemed "unladylike."
Creating Double Standards Toxic femininity supports double standards where women are judged more harshly for behaviors that are acceptable in men.