Toxic Femininity

“Holding or embracing traditional feminine attributes like empathy, passivity, patience and tenderness in order to prioritise caring for others to the detriment of their own health while minimising their own struggles.”

Examples:
- Putting other women down to feel superior
for the way they present themselves (clothes, makeup, nails)
- Not speak up if something in a man bothers them

Toxic feminism’s impact is damaging everything that women are combating for. Modern society is perceived to be eager to remove gender-based inequalities and social prejudices about women’s role, dressing style for example. Yet, often women use toxic gender stereotyping without realising it. It includes spreading malicious gossip, social exclusion, judging others based on looks, clothes and mannerisms or aiming to assert control over another.

For example, the ‘pick me females’ attempt to favor the self-acclaimed superior sex, to appear more wanted to men or avoid rejection. When these ideologies are so deeply carved in society, it becomes the standard for measuring a woman’s good-naturedness or unpleasantness.

Women who show toxic feminine traits support the traditional, misogynistic gender roles that always end up punishing women. They believe that men engaging in domestic activities emasculates them. However, they are the ones who try to trap men into relationships or marriages with pregnancy. They are taught to believe that it is the sole responsibility of men to carry all their financial responsibilities. They are constantly involved in emotionally assaulting and accusing the men in their lives of things ‘prone’ to men, like cheating or always wanting sex. They cannot trust them to be around other attractive women by themselves, because they believe that all men are incapable of controlling their impulses.