Printable PDF Women and girls are frequently sent the message that demanding accommodations for our health and safety are "selfish." And, DEI is a si
Printable PDF
Women and girls are frequently sent the message that demanding accommodations for our health and safety are “selfish.” And, DEI is a sin, you know.
Meanwhile, there are many everyday products, designs, and “safety” standards built around the “default male body” that put women at increased risk for harm, injury or even death. 
Below are 25 examples — or categories — of such products / systems, with links to reporting or research showing how neglecting female anatomy or needs creates danger.
⚠️ Important: this isn’t about “women are weaker.”
It’s about design bias — a world created with a narrow body and life-experience in mind.
When you don’t fit that design, you pay with your body and maybe your life.
🚨 25 Items & Systems That Risk Women’s Lives Because They Don’t Accommodate Women
| # | Product/System | Why It’s Risky / What’s Wrong | Example / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Standard car seatbelts & crash-test dummies | Crash-test dummies and belt routing have historically been made for a “standard male body.” Women are likelier to be injured even when belted. Consumer Reports+2Policy Perspectives+2 | “Dummies Used In Motor Vehicle Crash Tests Favor Men And Put Women At Risk” Forbes+2Searcy Law+2 |
| 2 | CPR / first-aid mannequins | Most training dummies lack female anatomy (like breasts), which affects how people learn to give CPR — leading to lower likelihood of women receiving help in emergencies. The Guardian+1 | “Learning CPR on manikins without breasts puts women’s lives at risk” study referenced by The Guardian. The Guardian |
| 3 | Vehicle seat & headrest design (for whiplash protection) | Modern car seats and headrests are often too firm and designed for heavier male musculature; women’s lighter bodies and necks make them more vulnerable to whiplash. The Guardian+1 | “The deadly truth about a world built for men — from stab…” article describing how seat design increases women’s risk. The Guardian |
| 4 | Standard “female” crash-test dummies that are just scaled-down males | Even “female” dummies are often just smaller versions of male forms, ignoring real anatomical differences — leading to misleading safety data. Humanetics+1 | “What do crash test dummies have to do with gender bias?” perspective piece. Humanetics |
| 5 | Pregnancy / maternity car safety setups | Seatbelts and car safety systems rarely accommodate pregnant bodies properly — increasing risk of injury to both mother and fetus in crashes. Gendered Innovations+1 | Analysis of crash risk for pregnant women and inadequacy of standard seatbelt design. Gendered Innovations |
| 6 | Medical equipment & hospital beds designed around “average male” proportions | Standard hospital tools (beds, stretchers, protective gear) may not fit or protect women properly, especially under stress or emergency situations. (While this is a broad issue, CPR / medical mannequins are a concrete example — see #2.) | See reporting on first-aid mannequin bias. The Guardian+1 |
| 7 | Seat harnesses / restraints for children or adults that don’t adjust for female body shapes | Restraints that don’t account for female pelvic/hip/torso shape can apply excessive or misdirected pressure during crashes, causing internal injuries. arXiv+1 | Recent research into risk of pelvic fractures under standard lap-belt loading in females. arXiv |
| 8 | Public safety gear (vests, body armor, life vests, seat belts for public transport) based on male bodies | When protective gear is sized for “average men,” women often get loose fit — reducing protection, increasing chance of injury or escape during accidents or emergencies. (General issue — closely linked to known bias in “standard sizing.”) | See broader documentation on data bias and design gaps for women. Monash University+1 |
| 9 | Furniture and seating (office chairs, public benches, seats on buses/trains) with narrow seat width or improper ergonomics | Women with different hip/torso shapes (or carrying children) may be at ergonomic disadvantage — leading to chronic pain or violence of physical discomfort. (Less-studied, but common in UIW design critique.) | The principle is discussed in design-bias literature such as “Invisible Women.” Monash University |
| 10 | Workplace safety equipment (helmets, harnesses, gloves, protective wear) built to “average male size.” | Ill-fitting safety gear reduces protection, especially in workplaces where women are minority but still present — increasing risk of injury or death. (Generalized from known bias in safety equipment.) | Design bias described broadly in product-design analyses. Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1 |
| 11 | Emergency response training & educational materials written for male anatomy / averages | When training (first aid, rescue, medical) uses male norms, women’s physiological realities get ignored — meaning assistance may fail when applied to women. CPR mannequins are a concrete example from this. The Guardian+1 | Reporting on global CPR manikins lacking female anatomy. The Guardian |
| 12 | Vehicle impact safety standards & legislation based on male-centric crash testing | Because safety regulation uses outdated male body standards, many cars remain unsafe for women even if they “pass” crash tests — leading to disproportionate injury rates among women. The Washington Post+2Policy Perspectives+2 | Opinion piece from Washington Post on female crash test dummy inadequacy. The Washington Post |
| 13 | Design of public spaces (bathrooms, changing rooms, seating, public transport) ignoring women’s needs (privacy, safety, ergonomics)** | This can expose women to harassment, injury, discomfort, or denial of safety — because spaces treat “default user” as male. (A general structural issue — linked to systemic design bias.) | Broader analysis of “world built for men” in design-bias literature. The Guardian+1 |
| 14 | Safety standards in sports equipment (helmets, pads, harnesses) often sized for male anatomy | Women athletes may be under-protected because gear doesn’t fit properly — risking injuries, especially in high-impact sports. (While specific research varies, the problem mirrors the same design bias.) | Theoretical extension of known design bias in safety gear; see general critique of product-design bias for women. Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1 |
| 15 | Transportation design (car interiors, public transport seats, ride-hailing safety measures) that don’t account for gendered safety / risk | Women riding alone — especially at night — face higher risks when vehicles, ride-hail apps, or transit systems aren’t designed with their safety and comfort in mind. (Related to women’s ride-hailing research.) arXiv | Recent study showing nighttime ride-hailing safety concerns for women due to design/infrastructure gaps. arXiv |
| Product / System | What’s the Risk / How Women Are Disadvantaged | Source / Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Office temperature / climate-control settings | HVAC and thermostat “standards” were developed for male metabolic rates, which often makes offices uncomfortably cold for many women — contributing to stress, discomfort, reduced productivity and even long-term health issues. Medium+1 | Report on “world built for men” climate-control bias in workplaces. Medium |
| 17 | Snow-clearing / public-works scheduling & urban design | City planning and maintenance (sidewalk clearing, street cleaning, public-transport scheduling) often based on male-pattern data (commuting to work), ignoring women’s travel patterns, caretaking runs, errands — increasing risk of pedestrian hazards when snow remains uncleared. 99% Invisible+1 | Analysis of “Invisible Women” showing snow-clearing bias endangering women pedestrians. 99% Invisible+1 |
| 18 | Medical research & drug-testing protocols biased toward male bodies | Many medications, dosages, treatment protocols are based primarily on male physiology — meaning women may experience higher side effects, mis-diagnoses, or treatments that don’t fit their biology. Medium+1 | Summary of “data gap” effects in medical research; book “Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men.” Wikipedia+2Medium+2 |
| 19 | Public seating / furniture design (public benches, mass-transit seats, public-space benches) | Seats designed around an average male build — narrower seats, hard edges, low back/arm-rest placement — can cause discomfort or even injury to women (especially those with different hip/torso proportions), or mothers with children, or pregnant people. (While this is a systemic design-bias issue rather than a singular study, it’s widely documented in design-equity critiques.) Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1 | Broader discussion of product-design bias for women in everyday objects. Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1 |
| 20 | Safety / protective gear (helmets, body armor, harnesses, work-site safety clothing) designed for male proportions | When equipment (helmets, vests, harnesses, gloves) follows male dimensions or male-sized limbs, women using them — especially in fields where women are underrepresented — are at higher risk of malfunction or injury. Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1 | Critique on how product-design and safety gear reflect male-centric standards. Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1 |
| 21 | Tools and hardware (power tools, DIY equipment, heavy tools) designed for “average male” strength and hand size** | Tools shaped, weighed, sized assuming a “male hand/arm strength,” so women or people with smaller hands/less upper-body strength may be more likely to lose control, strain themselves, or cause accidents. Medium+1 | Analysis of general product-design bias — especially power tools and hardware. Medium+1 |
| 22 | Phones, wearable devices, wearable tech (smartwatches/fitness trackers) sized for larger wrists/hands and designed based on male ergonomics** | Smaller wrists, different comfort tolerances, and usage patterns among women are often ignored — leading to discomfort, low adoption, or exclusion from tech’s full benefits. (This follows from design-bias discussions of male-default sizing in gadgets.) Medium+1 | Critique in literature about data/design bias for women in tech and everyday devices. Medium+1 |
| 23 | Urban planning and public infrastructure (street lights, pavement height, public-bathroom design, transportation scheduling) built on male-centric usage assumptions** | When planners use male-dominated data (work commute patterns, mobility assumptions), public spaces may ignore women’s safety needs — leading to more exposure to harassment, accidents, or unequal access (e.g. long bathroom lines because fewer stalls, insufficient lighting, inadequate transit hours). Medium+2All Together+2 | Examples inside general analyses of gender bias in public design and infrastructure. Medium+2All Together+2 |
| 24 | Emergency-response protocols and training (first-aid training, CPR dummies, medical triage tools, rescue equipment) built on male-normal anatomy** | When first-aid mannequins, rescue standards, medical training assume a male body, women may be under-served — first responders might misjudge dosing, mis-handle rescue, or fail to recognize difference in anatomy or physiology. The CPR-dummy example is real. PMC+1 | Reporting on how medical training mannequins lacking female anatomy endanger women in emergencies. PMC+1 |
| 25 | Clothing, uniforms, and work-wear (e.g. industrial uniforms, safety vests, standard clothing sizes) built around male body proportions and unisex assumption** | Ill-fitting clothes/uniforms — too large, too loose, or cut incorrectly — can hinder movement, reduce protection, or even cause accidents. In workplaces, this increases risk of injury, discomfort, or exclusion for women. Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1 | Analysis of design bias and product design culture ignoring female proportions. Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1 |
OHSU researchers test menstrual products with blood for the first time
It Took Until 2023 to Test Period Products With Real Blood – And That’s a Problem
Wait, Tampons Weren’t Being Tested With Human Blood?
Pregnancy’s impact on the body lasts far longer than we realised
No One Told Me: Experts Reveal How Childbirth Affects Your Body
🌐 Summary — What This Reveals
First of all, we’ve “been kind and patient.” No one ever needs to say that to us anymore.
We get it. The bias isn’t always about intent. Often it’s about who was building — when most designers, engineers, and planners are men. So what have we learned? Educate and higher more women. Harvard ALI Social Impact Review+1
The consequences are not only discomfort or inconvenience — in many cases, serious injury, misdiagnosis, higher mortality risk, and systemic inequality.
Design often defaults to a “standard male body.” When you don’t meet that standard — smaller, pregnant, differently shaped, with different physiology — you become invisible in the design process.
- The risk isn’t just physical. Design that ignores women’s bodies and needs reinforces a message: “The world was built for someone else.” That isolation, invisibility, and lack of accommodation carries social, emotional, and psychological heavy weight.
This isn’t just a quirk.
It’s a structural hazard.
Yeah, clearly it is women and girls who are selfish and not thinking of other people. (sarcasm)
When it comes to health, safety, and equality in opportunities; women and girls are NEVER asking for too much.
And yet, women are pushed to “share” and “be kind” as if we have too much when the truth is, we don’t have enough for our own survival. The basics for health, safety, and well-being. And who will assist us in getting it without strings attached?
📚 For Deeper Reading — Overarching Source
The book Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men compiles dozens of studies and examples across medicine, transport, urban planning, product design — mapping how deeply this bias runs. It’s one of the most powerful resources for understanding the scale of design-based inequality. Wikipedia+1