Women's lives are shaped by data that only represent men from "summary" of Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
The default human being is male. This fact is so ingrained that it often goes unnoticed. From the size of a soldier's helmet to the temperature in office buildings, the world is designed around the male body. But it's not just physical design that is skewed in favor of men. Data collection is another area where men take center stage, leaving women in the shadows. Take the workplace, for example. When companies collect data on their employees, they often fail to disaggregate it by sex. This means that policies and practices are based on a male-centric view of the world, even though women make up roughly half of the workforce. As a result, women are left out of important decision-making processes, leading to workplace environments that are less accommodating to their needs. This gender data gap extends beyond the workplace and into other aspects of life. From transportation to healthcare, women are often left out of the equation when data is collected and analyzed. This has serious consequences for women's safety and well-being. For instance, crash test dummies used in car safety testing are based on the male body, leading to cars that are less safe for women. Similarly, drug dosages are often based on male bodies, putting women at risk of adverse side effects. The consequences of this gender data gap are far-reaching and have a real impact on women's lives. By relying on data that only represent men, we perpetuate a cycle of inequality that is difficult to break. It's time to start collecting and analyzing data in a way that includes women, so that policies and practices can be truly gender-inclusive. Only then can we begin to address the systemic biases that have been built into our society for far too long.
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