Being cyber flashed, or sent sexual images you haven’t asked for, has topped the list of things young women in Britain find most offensive about modern life.
More than a third (37%) of women aged 23 to 38 said receiving unsolicited explicit pictures is more offensive than being charged VAT on sanitary products or being mansplained to, according to the poll of 2,000 females.
Reporting by HuffPost UK has found women feel “violated, scared and uncomfortable” when sent these images in public spaces such as public transport, restaurants and bars.
[Read More: ‘I had no idea cyber flashing happened so often’: victims on realising they weren’t alone]
The nationwide study, by polling firm Ginger Research, asked women what they found most offensive when going about their daily lives. Coming in second place was paying VAT on sanitary products, followed by the notion that women are bad drivers.
Being asked if it’s your time of the month, not being paid as much as male colleagues, being chatted up on LinkedIn and being told to “cheer up” or “calm down” also featured highly on the ranking.
As many as 60% of the women polled claimed they regularly feel angry and frustrated about being treated differently in day-to-day situations, purely because of their sex.
Almost a quarter feel regularly patronised by members of the opposite sex.
Other issues included: men talking to your breasts rather than face, airbrushed images of women in the media, being wolf-whistled at, being told your biological clock is ticking, and being asked if you plan to get pregnant.
Other things that made the list, include:
People assuming you’re not the main breadwinner - 17%
Being bought household appliances for your birthday - 15%
Being asked if your breasts are real - 15%
The view that you should not have long hair over 50 - 15%
Being told you have childbearing hips - 15%
Being described as a housewife - 15%
Being left with the wives of your partner’s friends at dinner - 12%
Waiters assuming the healthy meal or salad is for you - 11%
Anti-aging adverts - 11%
The waiter assuming your male companion is picking up the bill - 11%
The assumption that you’ll change your name after getting married - 9%
The assumption that you look after the family calendar - 9%