Why it feels like there is a shadow hanging over being a woman – Why are we treated like second class citizens.

A raw, honest exploration of why women around the world are still objectified, mistreated, silenced, and left to pick up the pieces. This blog post uncovers the social, psychological, and emotional forces behind entitlement, abuse, and violence. It offers a path toward healing, dignity and empowerment.

There’s a truth many of us carry, often silently, from early on, our bodies, our boundaries, our heartbreaks, and our dignity are under threat. Somewhere in how society functions we are taught ( or shown) that women are less than, or at risk of being treated as “available”, “used”, “taken from”. Why does this happen, why does it persist, and what does it leave in us? I was told this year by someone I was in a relationship with ‘No Kerry, Men will always be 51% and some 49%’ , Needless to say the relationship never worked out, but why in 2025 do we still face these issues!

From a young age many girls sense they are being looked at as a body, as something to be gazed upon, evaluated. Being beautiful becomes one of the strongest currencies. This isn’t just about one person’s fantasy, it’s built into social norms, media, family roles, expectations.

When women are objectified, their full humanity is diminished, they become “things to be consumed”, not equal human beings with agency. In many societies women are still paid less, expected to do more unpaid care, to fit into roles that sideline them.

Objectification and “second-class” status are deeply entwined, if you’re not free to say “no”, if your voice isn’t listened to, if your body is seen as someone else’s territory — then you’re treated as less than.

Why some men act as though they can “take” from women

There are many layers here. One is cultural: in many places men are raised with entitlement, that their desires matter more, that women exist in part to serve those desires, you only have to spend 5 minutes reading the ‘Are we dating the same guy’ groups, to see, that your situation, my situation is not just a one off! Another is psychological: research shows that among men who commit rape and assault, violent dominance, lack of empathy, peer culture and misogynistic beliefs all play a role. For example:

  • Studies of rapists who are in prison, found some view rape as “having sex without the person’s will … the one being raped doesn’t enjoy its pleasure, it’s the rapist that enjoy the pleasure.”  
  • The concept of “rape culture” captures how: victim-blaming, sexual objectification, trivialisation of assault, denial of harm, become socially normalised. 
    Society gives some men the message: your masculinity is proven by conquest, by insensitivity, by ignoring “no”. When these ideas dominate, then touching, luring, assaulting!! Some men see it not as the violation it is, but as “just what I do”.
    Another piece is power: in many sexual assaults, the issue is control, not sex. The assault is a way to dominate, humiliate, silence. That dynamic sits under many of the statistics and stories we hear.

I mean what world do we live in, but we can’t bury our heads girls… we can’t! This is factual and sadly so so close to home for so many of us!

What the numbers tell us

Some crucial, devastating statistics to ground the pain:

  • Globally, nearly 1 in 3 women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime (by a partner or non-partner).  
  • In 2023, around 51,100 women and girls worldwide were killed by intimate partners or other family members.  
  • Violence isn’t just “out there”, these are mothers, daughters, friends, women we know or might know.
    These numbers are not remote. They show how the structures around us allow, and often fail to stop, the repeated violation of women’s rights, safety, dignity.

What this does to a woman—emotionally, mentally

It fucks us up for life… Fact!! Let’s not sugar coat this!!! To feel used, to feel like someone else decided your body’s value, your heart’s value, it hurts deeply. It can lead to:

  • Shame and self-doubt (“Why did I stay? Why did I go back? What’s wrong with me?”)
  • Emotional exhaustion: being “always on guard”, managing others’ needs, protecting yourself.
  • Loss of trust: in men, in relationships, sometimes in your own judgement.
  • Anger, grief, sometimes numbness. You might carry the belief you owe something, even when you don’t and that belief itself is born of the messages you’ve internalised.
  • Loneliness: because the society around you may minimise your pain, blame you, dismiss you.
    When a man comes and uses a woman, emotionally, physically, sexually and leaves without apology or regard, the hurt is real. It’s a violation of more than the body: it’s a violation of dignity, our self worth and our love for ourselves!! Men will never ever understand just how hard us women work just to gain that slight bit of self love, and they think nothing of taking it for their own selfish gain!!

Why women sometimes continue to stay with partners…

You asked: “Why as women do we feel we owe men something? Why do we go on in relationships or have consensual sex when the dynamic is bad?” It happens and wow, more than we dare to even think. A few psychological/social threads:

  • Social conditioning: From a young age many women are taught to please, to care, to nurture. The idea of “relationship” often comes with the unspoken cost: your needs are secondary.
  • Hope and love: You may see the potential in someone. You hope the person will change. You invest emotionally. That doesn’t make you foolish, it makes you human.
  • Fear of loss: The sense of “better the bad I know than the unknown” can hold you in place. The belief “maybe this is what I deserve” comes from internalised shame.
  • Power imbalance: If someone has made you feel low, if they’ve conditioned you to believe you’re unworthy, then leaving them or saying “No more” can feel impossible.
  • Trauma bond: After violation, there can be a confusing attachment, especially if kindness or apologies occasionally surface, or if you’ve internalised blame.
    None of this is easy to untangle. The fault lies not in you having feelings or wanting love. The fault lies in the system and in the person who treated you as less.

Why does this persist? Why do men think this behaviour is acceptable?

It’s not “just one reason”, it’s a mix of culture, power, upbringing, individual psychology, structural inequality. Some contributing factors:

  • Patriarchal norms: Societies where men hold economic, political, sexual dominance make it easier for entitlement and abuse to flourish.
  • Gender stereotypes: “Real men” don’t cry, they dominate; “good women” are submissive. These expectations crush humanity.
  • Normalisation of violence: In some contexts assault becomes hidden, ignored, written off. Victims are blamed. Rapists are not held fully accountable.
  • Lack of empathy: Some men (and people) may never truly perceive another’s “no” as valid, or believe their own desire must be fulfilled regardless. Research among rapists showed a mindset of “it’s his pleasure; she didn’t matter”.  
  • Peer dynamics: Some men act for social status, to impress friends, under the idea “boys will be boys”. Rape culture theories emphasise how society tolerates or downplays sexual violence.  
  • Institutional failure: When the justice system, the police, the culture protect abusers or minimise the victim’s voice.. behaviour doesn’t get curbed.
    In short: because the system and culture allow it. And until those change, the behaviour persists.

The implications for us women

When these dynamics are allowed to run rampant, the effects ripple:

  • Self-worth diminishes: Constantly being looked at as someone else’s “use” diminishes the idea you are whole and complete in yourself.
  • Emotional trauma: Assault, objectification, betrayal, abandonment, they can cause PTSD, depression, anxiety, trust issues.
  • Social and economic consequences: Women who survive violence may struggle with employment, health, relationships, support.
  • Generational trauma: The patterns get passed down. If a girl sees a mother being treated roughly, or internalises the idea that a woman must accept less, change becomes harder.
  • Relationship choices: You may end up choosing less, settling, staying in harmful dynamics because the alternative seems scarier than the known hurt.
  • Intersectional suffering: If you are a woman of colour, LGBTQ+, disabled, migrant or from a marginalised group you can face even more layers of objectification, invisibility and abuse.
    These are not just “individual problems”. They are societal problems. When half (or more) of humanity is treated as less, we all lose.

This isn’t just one place, one culture, one story, it’s a sadness that circles around the world. Around the world women are killed, assaulted, silenced, shamed. The number of daily femicides, the prevalence of rape, the under-reporting of violence, these are global. The more I go down a rabbit hole, trying to understand, trying to understand a perpetrators mind, im saddened, sat here in disbelief, how men think they can do what they do…

The sadness is multilayered, grief for what was taken, anger at the perpetrators, frustration at the silence, shame for having believed you were at fault. The sadness for the world that this still happens, that women still have to fear, still have to defend, still have to pick up the pieces.

But let me bring in a different note, true hope…

You are not just a victim. You are not just the piece left behind. Though you’ve been wounded, you can heal. Though you’ve been treated as less, you are whole. You are and I to, a survivor, a strong independent being, reclaiming yourself.. I look in the mirror daily, and I’m like ‘Kerry, Shit happens, but you got this’.

Recognising the problem is the first step. Naming it: objectification, entitlement, violence, misogyny. Then: reclaiming boundaries, your voice, your story. Surrounding yourself with people who honour you, who love you, who you can trust. Undoing the internalised beliefs you were “less than”.

Change also happens collectively, when women speak, when men listen and change, when institutions refuse to protect abusers, when culture shifts to value consent, respect, equality.

It’s your right, not an ask, to be safe, to be respected, to have your body and heart treated with dignity. And the world must change so that isn’t a radical statement, but a foundational one.

Men all around the world, refuse to accept accountability for the word NO, they victim blame.. they think it’s their right to take… my answer is NO!!

NO Means NO

No means no.

Asleep means no.

Unconscious means no.

Not sure means no.

Silence means no.

Men must accept accountability for ignoring the word NO.

And women must stop carrying the shame that never belonged to us

If you’re feeling that you were used, overlooked, treated as disposable, you deserved so much more.

If you’re still in pain from a man who left without apology, who touched you without regard, who made you doubt yourself, your feelings are valid. The shame is not yours. It’s theirs!

If you stayed, or stayed trying, or believed again, know this: that doesn’t make you weak, just because you may have consented once, doesn’t mean the time you said NO, or couldn’t say no, any different. It makes you human. It makes you someone who hoped, someone who wanted to love. Someone who deserves peace.

You don’t owe him anything. You owe you. Your healing, your future, your freedom.

And though you may still feel lost, you are not alone. The sadness is there, yes, but so is the possibility of transformation. The possibility of reclaiming your story. The possibility of being seen, heard, valued.

For every woman who has ever been used, hurt, abandoned or silenced:

You are not broken.

You are not less.

You are not the aftermath of what he did.

You can reclaim yourself.

Your voice.

Your boundaries.

Your identity.

Your future.

Healing starts when you name the truth.

When you recognise you deserved more.

When you surround yourself with people who honour your heart.

Your safety and dignity are not privileges.

They are rights.

And the world must change to reflect that.

A Final Message to Any Woman Reading This

If someone used you and walked away, you deserved so much more.

If he hurt you and didn’t apologise, the shame is not yours — it’s his.

If you stayed, hoped, forgave, tried again, you were loving. Not weak.

Even if you once consented, that does not erase the times you said no or the times you couldn’t say it.

You don’t owe him anything.

You owe you.

Your healing.

Your peace.

Your future.

And even if you feel lost right now, you are not alone.

The sadness is real, but so is the possibility of transformation, the possibility of reclaiming your story.

Be you, feel you… Love Kerry x

Feel free to reach out to me for transformational coaching support… transformwithkerry@gmail.com

Narcissists and their constant need for admiration and love.

Are you a supplier to a narcissist? Do you feed their habit, their ego?

But can a narcissist ever be happy and in love?

Quote ‘A leopard never changes its spots’ – Maybe not but can the right woman, over time watch those spots fade, and don’t we all have an essence of Narcissist deep within?

Narcissists can love, perhaps the majority just superficial, always with one step out the door. A narcissist can make you feel you’re all they need, all they desire and they’re in love, yet you have a bad day, they hurt you, and the love rears its head very different to the kind of love we thought we were receiving. Narcissists lack empathy, nature or nurture, they have a complete inability to put anyone else needs before their own.

Narcissists need and crave attention and validation, they are most often attracted to those who can provide them with the highest grandiose of self, those who can supply their fix. Narcissists are attracted to those who are kind people and givers, the type of people who will shower them with compliments, the kind of people they see as good and pure, who will supply them with exactly what they need to feed and boost their ego., This is why we see Narcissists deliver love-bombing, claiming you’re soul mates, saying its like a dream come true, weekends away, perfect dates, gifts, compliment giving, because Narcissists love the beginning of a relationship, dreams of getting married, and the problem is even the best narcissists can’t keep up the momentum. Whether it be 6 weeks or 6 months , narcissists are very excitement and thrill driven, they feel empowered from your attention, your affection, but as time goes on, little things will start to creep in, gas lighting, insults, back handed comments, correcting you, telling you they say things with love, but then insult you. The puzzle pieces start to fit together, and you will see these triggers come from frustration, anger, and the actual dark side of their personality, and they will try and double back, because they will still require their validation, however as they start to express their true self, perhaps in time of stress, over time there will be more and more of them, so you notice this exciting person you met and fell for, actually becomes almost flat line empty soul of a person, and you don’t want to compliment them, you don’t have that same butterfly feeling, and so you stop the supply, and rather than see this as their fault, (which it is) they will blame you, they’re very naturally novelty seeking people, they love the high feeling, this is why so many of them are drug or have been drug addicts, they love those dopaminergic feelings and in their make believe fantasy its you who is at fault, you who has made this go ‘boring’ you are the problem, never them! You’ve taken the excitement away! However the truth is, they were living in fantasy dream land, caught up in their high fix, and you were the drug, however once their true character kicked in, and they start putting you down, start winding you up for a reaction and start showing instability and inconsistency, it causes a huge imbalance in the relationship. One of you will be waiting and praying for their fun side to return, hoping it was really them, whilst walking on eggshells and never knowing what is around the corner, because their frame of mind actually scares you. One minute they love you more than life, the next they’re so cold, and you never know what personality you’ll be met with, so as the supplier, your anxiety takes over and you can’t be that fun person a giving constant praise, Because your energies are depleted, So the narcissist sees you as the one who has changed, sees you as the one not compatible, you as the one who its boring, when really it’s their fucked up view on life and how they treat others which has caused all this.

As good people we will naturally enter any relationship giving praise, and status and validation, however there are ways to spot a narcissist at the very start. Do they talk of children together, a house together a life together after just a date or two? We can’t call narcissists fake, they just live a false reality, a fantasy world, where they see visions and have desires, and they will want that, but its your supply that feeds these fantasies.

Narcissists are very precarious individuals, often very fickle jumping from one idea to another, completely driven in life by their own self worth, self interest and they will tread and hurt anyone to get what they want In life. To live out the fantasy they see in their head, they are hyper-competitive and impatient demanding everything their way, in their time, and everyone following their lead, because in their head narcissists are never wrong, so its their way or the highway. Once the fantasy of you dies off, they will already be onto their next victim, because many of them need a plan B and back up plan, so they can have that constant attention.

The idea of the classic grandiose narcissist – the most recognisable form of Narcissism, is characterised by entitlement, redness, arrogance, and a constant need for touch and admiration. They tend to have a high self esteem and believe there is a hierarchy In life and they are superior to others. They are often boastful and tell you their earnings, their materials, what cars they have driven, they often inflate numbers and exaggerate their achievements and they can become combative, aggressive and take a dislike to you if their superiority is challenged. The will dominate conversations, by talking at you not with you, they will accuse you of not listening almost like you are the child and they are the parent, what they say is right, based on their facts, and everyone else opinion doesn’t matter. They will often dominate relationships , with lines such as ‘I like things traditional, the man in charge’ all the time setting seeds and foundations, to conform you to their controlling ways, remember they are childlike in wanting everything their way. They will also want you almost scared of them, so will keep you on knife edge, on your toes, so you form attachment to them, because they will want you craving them, chasing them.

Many narcissists turn to criminal acts, such as fraud, because their ego and lack of empathy enables them to work and prosper and not have any empathy for the victims they steal from. They will take and take to fund their own luxury lifestyle, and not give AF about the consequences. This is the same in love. They will want you hand holding them constantly, praising them constantly, yet when you need them they fail to show up.

Narcissists don’t need love, they don’t feel love, they feel love for theirselves and the image of what they think love is, they will dream they want the fairy tale, but unless they recognise their traits and get the right therapy, they will never ever feel happiness. They will get their fix through shopping money, women, and cars, but they will never feel or love in the traditional sense, and sadly will end up very lonely, or dying young from drug addictions and gluttony problems such as heart attack from the over use of steroids and drug misuse.

Remember the 4 D’s are a narcissist Denial, Dismissal, Devaluation and Divorce. A pattern that will never cease unless the narcissist gets real help.

Denial – Narcissists often deny responsibility for their actions, blame others, or minimize the impact of their behavior. This can manifest as a persistent lack of accountability. If you try to explain their actions have hurt you, they will suddenly recall that one time you hurt them, because they struggle to take and accept blame, remember a narcissist is new wrong in their mind.

Dismissal – They may dismiss or invalidate the feelings, opinions, or experiences of others, often downplaying their significance or importance. They will speak over you, and not let you voice your opinions and when you do, they will disagree and often say you are wrong, wasn’t listening and dismiss your opinion.

Devaluation – This involves making someone feel inadequate, worthless, or inferior, often through criticism, belittling, or public humiliation. If you’re a confident partner, they will like that about you at first, but over time they will chip away. I recently found this myself, after years of body dismorphia and an eating disorder, I had my body, my looks criticised, which is abuse, whether I had, had disorders or not, but again, they will follow the insult with ‘I say this with love, but’ – And the strange thing was, the guy wasn’t my type in the beginning, his love bombing won me over, so I could of easily given my opinions on him, but I would never be so rude to. However a real narcissist will mark you beneath them, so if you display confidence, and for instance say ‘Oh I love my legs’ – low and behold they will say something detrimental about your legs.

Divorce/Discard – In the context of relationships, this can refer to the end of the relationship, either through physical separation or emotional withdrawal. The narcissist may discard the person they were previously idealizing, often with little regard for their feeling, they won’t care how they do this, and will most likely do it over the phone, so they can state their facts, not listen to yours and run the fuck away, because again your opinion doesn’t matter, there’s does, that’s how they feel, deal with it!!!! Their lack of emotional intelligence and empathy will see them on this path of self destruction all through their lives. From one woman/ man to the next, falling in love and lust, using the innocent person, manipulating them, knocking them down so the dynamics change, then blaming the poor victim, and making an excuse to move onto the next.

Whilst there is no cure for NPD (Narcissistic personality disorder) in the sense of pure elimination, it has been found by investing in therapy, coupled with a sense of truly wanting to change, there can be dramatic improvements and they can almost go on to live normal lives, with the support of a very loving family and very patient partner. However as we have discussed this can be near impossible, because nearly all people with NPD, are in complete denial of their wrong doing, it will 99% of the time be somebody else’s fault, and you will very rarely hear them say Sorry or Thank you. They don’t feel they need to, Because in their world, YOU are beneath them, you are 49% and they are 51% they don’t view equality like a normal person, Because they have a constant need to impress others, look a certain way, act a certain way, show off a certain way. Remember they don’t care for you, they don’t care for their own children, their own mothers, they will care about theirselves only. On the surface they will proclaim all the love in the world, but when you need them, they will never show up.

Clinical research has shown, a reduction in grey matter in the brain of people with NPD, in areas of the brain like the anterior insult, which controls empathy. They had an unusual thinning of the brain in this area across all the study boards. When faced with testing and presented with tasks of social and emotional stimuli, Functional neuroimaging studies have revealed reduced activity in brain regions involved in empathy and compassion.

Research also suggests abnormalities and changes in the orbito-frontal cortex, which controls emotional intelligence and regulation and our social behaviours. Research suggests that the connections between the prefrontal cortex and the striatum n(a brain region involved in reward and motivation) may be disrupted in individuals with NPD, giving reason to hyper competitiveness, a lack of patience and a need to admired and praised. Whilst research continues into this field, we only have to look into the links between people with NPD and their high rate connection to violent crimes, they are very dangerous individuals with many prolific murderers being diagnosed with NPD. This condition is not just an instagram meme, its life changing and harmful for those caught up with a person who has NPD.

Remember a narcissist will deny they need therapy, and if they do feel they have to entertain the idea to please others, they will attend maybe one or two sessions, and rank theirselves higher at sorting their problems, than a trained Doctor, if they and very rarely do stick at it, then it can potentially work and turn their lives around, but narcissist may recognise their behaviour for a week or two then want to change, then suddenly it will be back to everyone else being a mess, to blame, at fault. So trying to get them to commit long term, when they are so fickle will be the biggest test of all.

It may be heart breaking to know and realise when the jigsaw pieces match up that you’re actually dating a narcissist, you may be like how I was so down trodden, so emotionally exhausted and feel so duped that there may be a sad sigh of relief. They are super tuned in, if they see you starting to get second thoughts, they will reel you back in, feed you a little, to keep you hanging off their carrot, then once you’re back, return back, and its like they have a bag of treats and you’re the puppy, and a tiny rewarder and there, will have your tail wagging.

Remember you are human to, and you will have your heart broken by this person, who will love you one day, and finish you the next with a whole barrage of excuses. You deserve better… always remember. You don’t need to change, its them, and if they cannot see that, then sadly you only get one life, its time to move on, as he’s probably already got his next victim lined up, so he can dispose of your attention because someone else is picking up the tab.

Look after yourselves… not them… you can’t keep supplying them, its mentally exhausting, it will leave you walking on egg shells, anxious, nervous and scared. So worried you will say the wrong thing, wear something they don’t like, or even have your own opinion. Stay safe…