Research says experiencing sexism can have lasting psychological effects, including ‘thinning’ parts of the brain

When it comes to experiencing misogyny and sexism, the sad truth is that many of us know how harmful it can be. Whether it’s being catcalled in the street or patronised and belittled at work because of your gender, we’re often left with our emotions heightened and our fight-or-flight response activated in the immediate aftermath. But according to research, these instances can also have a much longer-lasting impact. 

One large study from 2023 that analysed over 7,800 brain scans across 29 countries found that societal gender imbalances physically change women’s brains, leaving ‘scars’.

The research showed that women living in countries with higher gender inequality had thinner cortical thickness in brain regions associated with emotional control, resilience and stress-related disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. These brain differences were found to be diminished in more gender equal countries and were not observed to the same degree in men, though men also experienced more brain changes in the most unequal countries. 

When 77% of  UK girls and young women have faced online harm in the past year, and globally, almost one in three are said to have been subjected to physical or sexual violence, or both, it’s clear that if you improve gender equality, you can also improve women’s health. 

Sadly, the mental health impacts of gender discrimination have been observed in other research, too. 

One UK study found that women who experienced sex discrimination had worse mental health four years later. In the study of almost 3,000 women, one in five reported experiencing sexism, ranging from feeling unsafe in public spaces, to being insulted or being physically attacked, and were three times more likely to report psychological distress and lower life satisfaction.

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