Book Summary

“Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men” is an eye-opening exploration into the systemic discrimination of women due to the gender data gap. Criado Perez exposes how, in a world largely designed by and for men, women are systematically ignored. She delves into multiple domains – from medicine to technology, economics to public policy, and transportation to the urban environment – and illustrates how the lack of gender-specific data can lead to policies, laws, and designs that are less effective and can even endanger women. Throughout the book, Criado Perez presents a wealth of data, case studies, and stories that underscore the invisible bias against women. Her approach to the subject is not merely to criticize but to elucidate the root cause and implications of the issue, thereby calling for change in how data is collected and used.

Author Intro

Caroline Criado Perez

Caroline Criado Perez is a prominent British feminist writer, broadcaster, and award-winning campaigner. She’s well-known for her work in the representation of women in the media and her campaigns about women’s rights. Criado Perez was awarded the OBE for Services to Equality in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2015, and her powerful advocacy, combined with her ability to weave compelling narratives, has helped bring the feminist conversation into the mainstream discourse.

Book Reviews

In “Invisible Women”, Criado Perez pulls back the curtain on a world that, in many ways, is built for men. From urban design to medical research, she showcases how the male bias in data collection and interpretation impacts women’s lives, often in ways we fail to recognize. Her arguments are persuasive and substantiated by an overwhelming amount of evidence. This is a sobering yet crucial read that has the power to reshape our understanding of gender inequality and inspire change.

Caroline Criado Perez’s “Invisible Women” is a stirring call to action. It is a highly engaging book that powerfully illustrates how the gender data gap affects every aspect of women’s lives. Perez’s meticulous research is backed by hard-hitting facts that reveal a world that has overlooked half of its population. This book is a wake-up call to policymakers, researchers, and everyone else to take a hard look at how unconscious biases shape our world and the dire need to rectify them.

“Invisible Women” is a revelation. It illuminates the blind spots in a world designed without considering half of its population. Criado Perez’s arguments are incisive and backed by extensive research. The book’s greatest strength, however, is in its wide-ranging exploration of the impact of the gender data gap – from the design of smartphones to public transport systems. “Invisible Women” is a significant contribution to feminist literature, highlighting the systemic issues that lead to everyday inequalities.

Perez’s “Invisible Women” is a game-changer. It is an urgent and damning exploration of the pervasive gender data gap, filled with profound insights and compelling data. Perez makes an irrefutable case for the need to acknowledge and rectify this systematic oversight. This book is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the often invisible, yet profound, ways in which women are forgotten in a world designed by and for men.

Best Lines

  • “Our public sphere is, by default, male. And it is built in the image of the ‘average’ male.”
  • “The gender data gap is both a cause and a consequence of the type of unthinking that conceives of humanity as almost exclusively male.”
  • “When we fail to collect data on women, we also fail to design a world for women. And the world we design for, we design.”
  • “To ignore gender in data is not simply a matter of missing women out. It is a way of passively reinforcing and reproducing traditional gender roles and norms.”

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