Women Are Sharing All The Things That Actually AREN'T Made For Us At All, And The List Is Infuriatingly Long
A few years ago, after a study revealed that women are 23% less likely to receive CPR in public than men, a company came out with an attachment to put over CPR dummies so people could learn how to give a person with boobs CPR.
FremantleMedia Enterprises / Via giphy.com
It's really something that there are things that, if only designed with women in mind, could actually save lives.
Recently, over on the r/AskWomen subreddit, u/archi_femme10 asked, "What female-centric design do you want to see in architecture and design?" And the responses really got me thinking. There are literally sooo many things that need to be improved.
Note: A lot of these examples may seem to imply that all women have breasts, are short, have small hands, etc. And that's obviously not the case. Any gender can have (or not have) these characteristics. These are just personal examples of how these people think their lives may be improved. As a whole, it would be ideal if designers kept ~everyone~ in mind while creating things.
A lot of the comments had to do with cars:
1."Crash test dummies with women's body types (including ones representing pregnancies) used for automotive testing, please!"
2."My seatbelt constantly slides up due to my breasts. I so often worry about getting decapitated by my seatbelt because I have boobs."
"Better seatbelts for women with large breasts. I hate having to constantly adjust it."
3."There should be a compartment in cars right in the front/center where you can keep your purse."
4."This is far less serious, but the angle of the headrest in my car makes it impossible for me to wear a ponytail."
Others suggested ways that work could be improved:
5."Desks should be more ergonomically designed for women. I remember looking up that the best height desk for me as a 5-foot-2-inch woman is 60 centimeters (about 2 feet), but every desk I could find had a minimum height of 70 centimeters."
6."I hate name tag stickers. There’s no great option for where to put them on outfits, plus they never stick well, so I feel like I’m just constantly pressing my hand to my breast to fix them."
7."Safety equipment is so rough. We couldn't find a full-face respirator that fit half our team at work because they're small women. Would also love curvy work pants and some nitrile gloves made for short, fat fingers, please."
8."Tools and implements. I'd like pruning shears, chef's cleavers, drills, and even phones designed for my small hands — and not just simply colored pink. There are definite safety benefits derived from being able to properly grip and handle a tool, too."
Some imagined how great bathrooms could be if designed for people other than just cis men:
9."Can we please get boxes or even just a trash can for period-product disposal in all unisex bathrooms? I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to awkwardly walk out with a wrapped-up pad to track down a trash can, only to go back to wash my hands again. I can’t even begin to imagine how bad it is for people who use tampons regularly."
10."I would love to see purse or bag hooks mounted on the bathroom vanities in public restrooms. Every once in a while I find them, but for the most part, they are nonexistent. I hate putting my purse on the floor anywhere in a bathroom, but the countertops are usually too wet or small to hold bags while I’m washing my hands."
11."Spaces for comfortable, hygienic breastfeeding that are not bathrooms. They should have comfortable seating, sinks, wastebasket, changing tables, and hooks for hanging bags and coats, as well as counter space for laying out pump parts."
Others talked about building design and infrastructure:
12."You should not be able to look up through any floor or staircase and be able to see up anyone's dress or skirt. Any design that's a built-in creep magnet annoys me greatly."
13."In all honesty, I want to stop seeing floors that are mirrors/very reflective. It is not fun when you stumble across one of them wearing a skirt. You can just TELL they were a male invention."
14."We really need feminist cities or cities designed to keep women safe. More lights on streets, fewer alleyways, and public transit that has security guards, etc."
Some people responded with how their health and wellness could be improved:
15."Boob holes in massage tables 🙏."
16."More bicycles or cycling bikes with wider seats. I love biking, but it always hurts. I know that you can buy a seat that is wider and will cater to a woman's pelvis, but that doesn't always speak to Spin classes, and they're an extra expense on top of already expensive bicycles. I'd love accessible fitness. It could have made such a difference earlier in my life."
17.And finally, similar to the CPR dummy example, "I want the design of medical solutions (anything from drugs to braces to even first-aid courses) to be more inclusive for women. Many drugs are initially not tested on women, which can lead to not discovering positive effects that the drugs may have. Also, the symptoms for heart attacks are different for women, so many don't get proper help for a heart attack. It's such a dark side of inequality."
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
