Internalised Misogyny and Girlboss Feminism in Women’s Muay Thai

Internalised misogyny (defined as ‘when women subconsciously project sexist ideas onto other women and even themselves’) is a product of patriarchy and a coping mechanism that many women use to get by in a sexist society. In environments where women are often viewed as inferior, it’s common for women to feel the need to prove that they’re ‘not like other girls’ in order to be accepted. Combat sports gyms, many of which have only begun to welcome (rather than just tolerate) women in recent years, are no different.

I’m no stranger to internalised misogyny. Growing up, it was a significant part of my identity. In comparison to my hyper-feminine twin sister, I was always described as a ‘tomboy’. There was nothing inherently unfeminine about my personality, preferences or interests, but I was constantly told the opposite. I couldn’t relate to the depictions of girlhood I’d been fed, so I rejected them. Being socialised with these strict gender norms lead me to associate all ‘feminine’ things as negative, and those who enjoyed them as frivolous or weak. This was a way of separating myself from the one-dimensional stereotypes I saw. I felt insecure and unable to fit in, and in response, I projected these insecurities onto other girls. As a teen, I took solace in mostly male social groups, and adopted the identity of the low-maintenance ‘cool girl’.

It wasn’t until I stepped into my 20s and discovered Muay Thai that I began my feminist awakening. Having moved away and thrown myself into a sport that had historically ‘othered’ women (and in many ways, continued to do so), I was more invested than ever in unpacking the realities of systematic and everyday sexism. Along the way, I’ve had to question my own biases, and I’ve been unlearning them ever since. During that process, I’ve observed how internalised misogyny can manifest in female fighters—myself included.

A cartoon by Sarah Andersen on going through a 'not like other girls' phase as a child, and growing up to love pink and sparkles

Displays & Effects of Internalised Misogyny in Muay Thai

Here’s how internalised misogyny shows up in Muay Thai, and the problems it creates.

Seeing Other Women as Competition

As women, we’ve been conditioned into a scarcity mindset, which tricks us into believing that there’s only one spot at the top for a woman. As a result, we can fall into the trap of thinking ‘if I help her, she might get that spot instead of me’. We often hear about a ‘boys club’ culture in which men give each other a leg up, but internalised misogyny can cause women to feel as though they have to elbow each other out of the way.

To counteract this, it’s important to demonstrate generosity to women with scarcity mindsets, whether that’s by welcoming them into the gym, embracing them as training partners, or showing solidarity in other ways. Reassure them that there’s enough room for everyone, and that allowing space for others doesn’t mean less for them, but more for all of us. Other women in the gym are our teammates, not our competition. Their success doesn’t take anything away from our own.

Priding Yourself on Being the Only Woman at the Gym

Some women see being the only one in an otherwise all-male gym as a badge of honour, as if that means they’re the only one who’s cut out for it, or are somehow special enough to be accepted.

A woman who’s used to training with only men may feel forced to emulate the behaviour of men around her so as not to be viewed as weak. As a result, when she does have opportunities to train with other women, she may find it hard to connect with them. If she places too much value on being the ‘best’ or only girl at her gym, she might struggle when training with another woman who’s more experienced or skilled, and staying at this kind of gym can be a way of avoiding being challenged for that position. This is something that was addressed in an Instagram post on internalised misogyny by women’s grappling community The Lila Triangle last year. “How does it feel sparring with women at a higher level?”, the post asks. “Do you ever find yourself struggling with your ego or feeling anger when another woman is technically better or stronger than you? Do you ever see them as your competitors, even if you never competed against them?”…“We might find ourselves comparing our performance, achievements, and even bodies with those of other women, and because society has taught us to doubt and undervalue ourselves, we feel threatened. This can sometimes be enhanced by the competitive nature of fighting sports”.

Not Being Able to Spar with Other Women

If you’re only used to training with men (especially those who are bigger than you) and constantly having to prove yourself by going as hard as possible to be seen as ‘one of the guys’, you might find it difficult to adjust when you’re paired up with another woman. 

As a result of this type of training environment, some female fighters begin to take pride in not being able or allowed to spar with other women. They might say ‘I don’t know how to control my power’ or ‘I can’t spar with other women because I hurt them’, but these are not things to be proud of. Rather than indicating strength or skill, this attitude shows a fragile ego and a lack of self-awareness. It’s not that they ‘can’t’ spar with other women, it’s that they don’t want to be viewed as weaker than them. They want to win. 

If having another woman to spar with is a rare occurrence, there’s all the more reason to take it as an opportunity to learn and connect when it does happen, not to assert dominance. If you find your ego taking over, ask yourself why.

Believing that Women are Inherently Inferior

Some women buy into the idea that men are automatically superior, and that this is the natural and indisputable order. They might say, ‘I prefer training with men because they’re less drama’, or ‘a male sparring partner will always be better and stronger than I am’.

In a 2018 study, Muay Thai: Women, Fighting, Femininity, researchers Sharyn Graham Davies and Antje Deckert interviewed 17 foreign female fighters in Thailand to discuss their relationships with feminine ideals and how they’ve experienced them through Muay Thai. “Borders around women often discursively work to protect a patriarchal status quo”, they wrote. “Some interviewees support such protective measures, such as Matilda, who said: ‘I am not a feminist. I think if you push too hard for females to be very strong, males get pushed under and there’s an imbalance’”. Another interviewee said, “I prefer sparring men than women. It’s more of a challenge. And I wanna be faster, stronger, more skilful”.

Those who feel that there are no women in their gym who can spar with them might use this as proof that other women are inherently weaker or can’t keep up with them, when it’s often a symptom of more complex barriers for women in the sport, and in our society. Likewise, they may view any traits or actions that are deemed ‘feminine’ as inferior. 

They might fall back on this idea when discussing complaints of sexism or discrimination in the sport, telling other women that the way to overcome this is to adopt traits that are characterised as more ‘masculine’, such as competitiveness or aggression, and that instead of complaining, they should ‘just work harder’. In Women & Power: A Manifesto, Mary Beard describes how women are often ridiculed for ‘whining’ or ‘shrieking’ for simply speaking out in this way, which she connects to the historical and cultural coding of power as masculine. “I think it’s interesting that it still, by and large, comes down to masculinizing yourself in order to be taken seriously”, she says.

Looking Down on Women Who Don’t Train the Same Way

A former training partner of mine once scoffed at a group of women who’d come to the gym for their first class. While side-eyeing them for wearing leggings instead of Muay Thai shorts and doing push-ups on their knees, she referred to them as ‘Barbie girls’. She would also be disparaging to women who would sometimes prioritize their relationships or social lives over fighting. It was as if by not conforming to a narrow definition of how women in the sport should present or conduct themselves, they were ‘letting the side down’. But women shouldn’t have to either follow or defy feminine ideals in order to be welcomed and respected.

People train for all kinds of reasons, and someone you view as having different motivations or priorities than yours doesn’t deserve any less respect. In addition, people should be able to enjoy the benefits of training without the pressures of fighting, and if we look down on those who are training just for fun, they’ll feel unwelcome and will be less inclined to keep training. Instead of gatekeeping, we should allow everyone to enjoy the sport on their own terms. Even if they’re different from our own.

Viewing New Women as a Threat

Early in my fighting career, I was the only woman who was at my gym long-term. When another woman joined me, I was elated. We became fast friends and daily sparring partners. After arriving as a beginner, she quickly grew into a fighter.

Then another woman joined. 

She was immediately hostile to the third woman, as if she needed to prove herself before being allowed into the fold. But if I’d taken this same approach when she first arrived, her experience of Muay Thai may have been very different.

Later, it transpired that unbeknownst to me, there’d been an undercurrent of competitiveness between the two of us all along. I was surprised to hear that she’d described me to others as ‘the star of the gym until [she] came along’, which was certainly not an experience or view I shared. Her presence in the gym was a joy to me, and a welcome change. It was strange to find that we saw our training dynamic very differently, but through that lens, her treatment of our new training partner made sense. If she felt that she’d become the current ‘favourite’ of the gym, a new woman would present a threat to this perceived position.

This experience isn’t unique. Laurien Zurhake of Off the Zone talked about this in an Instagram reel on ‘women supporting women’, describing instances when she’d observed women in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu challenging new female training partners instead of supporting them, and even when she’s been guilty of this herself. “Women can also create toxic places for other women, and also for men”, she says.

By seeing newcomers as inferior, being unwelcoming towards them, and making them jump through hoops to prove themselves, women can create the same intimidating and hostile gym environment that they may have feared from men when they first started.

Seeing Other Women as Unworthy of Recognition or Opportunities

When you perceive other women as competition, it’s easier to view other female fighters as undeserving of the opportunities and attention they receive instead of celebrating their success. For example, you might find yourself criticising women who fight regularly at prestigious stadiums or on televised promotions because you think they’re ‘not good enough’ for those platforms. However, if men have always been able to fight on these shows regardless of their skill or experience level, why can’t women do the same? Criticizing them for it can reveal jealousy. Internally, you might be asking ‘what about me?’ 

Bullying Other Women at the Gym

Some women will go to great lengths to defend their position within their gym, even bullying other women to assert dominance. For those on the receiving end of this, it can feel like being put through a hazing process.  

When a woman has had to fight so hard to gain her rightful place in the gym, she may feel the need to fiercely protect it. This is understandable, given the adversity she’s had to face. But in doing so, she can force that same adversity onto other women. We should be doing all we can to make sure that the women who come into the sport after us don’t need to face the same barriers we did, not pulling the ladder up behind us in an act of self-preservation.

In response to Toxic Gym Culture in Muay Thai & Other Martial Arts, multiple women described being bullied by female training partners, with some even having to change gyms as a result.

Making Excuses for Men’s Behaviour

In Feminism is for Everybody, bell hooks wrote that women are socialised to “see ourselves as inferior to men, to see ourselves as always and only in competition with one another for patriarchal approval, to look upon each other with jealousy, fear, and hatred”, and, subsequently, to “ judge each other without compassion and punish one another harshly”.

This ‘patriarchal thinking’ can sometimes mean criticizing other women for minor transgressions while forgiving men for major ones. It can also mean tolerating or making excuses for problematic men, only speaking out against or separating yourself from them when their actions eventually start to affect you directly.

Sometimes, this reluctance to rock the boat stems from fear of losing opportunities or connections. In an industry where opportunities for women are already hard to come by (and often handed out by men), it’s understandable that some wouldn’t want to make it even harder for themselves. Some may not want to speak up for fear of losing their position or privilege. They might also be worried that speaking out might cause harm to the Muay Thai community, especially within their own gyms. The team and ‘family’ culture of martial arts gyms makes this even more complex.

Refusing to Acknowledge the Existence of Sexist Oppression

Many women who’ve been lucky enough not to have experienced or witnessed overt sexism in the sport find it hard to believe that it’s a real issue. As a result, some assume that those who complain about it are either exaggerating or have brought it upon themselves in some way. 

One fighter once wrote about how she’d had an overwhelmingly positive experience at her gym and had never been treated any differently there as a woman, citing this as an example of how things weren’t ‘that bad’ for women in Muay Thai. At that same gym, I’d been sexually assaulted by a trainer.

One person’s positive experience doesn’t negate another person’s negative one, nor does it disprove the existence of systematic barriers. People can have vastly different experiences within the same spaces, and even with the same people. That’s why many find it hard to believe when someone they train with is accused of abuse or sexual misconduct. They might say “they’ve always been good to me”. 

Disbelieving or Victim-Blaming Other Women

Women can often be defenders of abusers and perpetrators of victim blaming (just as they can commit abuse themselves), and this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Anti-rape activist Wagatwe Wanjuki explained this in a 2022 Twitter thread. “Assuming that all women will support victims is a mistake”, she wrote. Sadly, even women who’ve been subjected to domestic and sexual violence themselves can be quick to blame or dismiss others who speak out about their own experiences. While you might assume that other survivors would be the most sympathetic, that’s not always the case. We were all raised in a culture that reinforces victim blaming.

Those who’ve internalised that victim-blaming mindset can sometimes be critical or dismissive of others who speak out, especially when they don’t fit into their perception of what a fellow survivor should look like. They can often assume that because they’re what they define as a ‘real victim’, anyone who doesn’t fit into that definition must be lying. As a result, women who seek solidarity with others after reporting sexual misconduct in their gym can sometimes find themselves being blamed, ignored, or even shunned.

A diagram showing the hierarchy of victim blaming from a study by Dr. Jessicia Taylor

On an episode of the Southpaw podcast, Laurien Zurhake talked about the cold response she received from other women after she and her husband left their BJJ gym due to sexual harassment by a trainer. “When we left, I got more support from men than from women, especially those I know were also victims”, she said. Rear Naked Chicks also touched on this in an episode of their own podcast, stating “other women at the gym would gang up on the one who speaks out because they’re so afraid of losing that comfortable space as the accepted girls”.

This response, while frustrating, is a means of self-protection. A 2018 study mentioned that women can be persuaded to engage in victim blaming by to a need to take control, stating “it is possible that blaming is a result of the fact that women might have difficulties accepting the fact that they, hypothetically, can be raped without having any sort of blame”. Other studies on gender differences in victim blaming have shown that is often rationalised by ‘just world beliefs’—the idea that bad things happen to people who deserve them, and vice versa.

If a woman can find a reason to blame another woman for her abuse or mistreatment, she can convince herself that it’s avoidable and that there’s something she can do to protect herself from it. She can tell herself that those who’ve been victimised are doing something wrong, and therefore she must be doing something right. This gives her a much-needed sense of control. In reality, we’re all somewhat susceptible to abuse, but another woman makes an easier target than the systems of oppression working against them both.

Excluding Trans and Non-Binary People

Those who hold misogynistic beliefs, whether knowingly or unknowingly, are likely to be invested in the enforced gender hierarchy, and may therefore struggle to understand or accept anyone who deviates from that. As a result, they may fail to embrace or even acknowledge the existence of trans, non-binary, and intersex fighters or training partners.

In Whipping Girl: A Transexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, Julia Serano coined the term ‘transmisogyny’, describing the particular type of oppression faced by trans women. She also described how this concept is rooted in society’s fear of femininity. “In a male-centered gender hierarchy, where it is assumed that men are better than women and that masculinity is superior to femininity, there is no greater perceived threat than the existence of trans women”, she wrote. 

Cis-female fighters who claim that trans fighters pose a danger to the sport often repeat misogynistic rhetoric that describes women as inferior to men (and fail to even consider trans men, like boxer Patricio Manuel). In Transphobia in Sports is About Sexism, Leo Ross wrote “to exclude trans women from sports is to validate all the men that claim women’s bodies aren’t good enough. It changes nothing about the rampant sexism in women’s sports and does everything to reinforce it. Drawing a line between cis women and trans women legitimizes the regulations that determine what an ‘appropriate’ female body should look like. Because women of all experiences, cis or trans, should never have to prove that their body is ‘woman’ enough’”.

Those who oppose the inclusion of trans athletes often defend their position with the explanation that ciswomen have fought for so long to be included and respected in sport. But this is not justification to force that same exclusion onto trans athletes. It’s all the more reason to fight for the inclusion of everyone who is disadvantaged by sexism and misogyny, and to abolish any type of discrimination based on gender.

Trans and gender non-conforming fighters need to be included in our spaces and conversations, and these discussions should centre their experiences. Resources for this include Outsports and Athlete Ally, both of which feature content from LGBTQIA+ athletes in combat sports; as well as Queer Sports by Vice News

Patriarchal Bargaining

Many of the above behaviours can come as a result of patriarchal bargaining.

British-Turkish writer and researcher Deniz Kandiyoti coined the term ‘patriarchal bargain’ in her 1988 article, ‘Bargaining with Patriarchy’. The term refers to a woman’s decision to conform to or collaborate with patriarchy in exchange for some form of personal benefit.

“Women strategize within a set of concrete constraints I call patriarchal bargains”, she wrote. “Different forms of patriarchy present women with distinct ‘rules of the game’ and call for different strategies to maximize security and optimize life options with varying potential for active or passive resistance in the face of oppression”.

Patriarchy is not a blanket term for men. Instead, it refers to systems of power and oppression, which affect people of all genders. Men can support gender equality, and likewise, women can be agents of the patriarchy (while still being victims of it). Patriarchal bargaining is one form this can take. 

Patriarchal bargains pressure women into internalizing and reinforcing patriarchy. Sometimes, these bargains come in the form of small, seemingly inconsequential compromises, and are not conscious choices. Other times, they can be tactical decisions made to avoid consequences, such as being excluded, harassed, or worse. But while these bargains bring some form of gain for the individual, they also result in a loss for the collective.

Examples of Patriarchal Bargaining in Muay Thai

  • The gym member who doesn’t mind the flirty, abusive trainer and thinks women who feel harassed or bullied by him are weak. In return, she receives acceptance and approval in the gym.
  • The insecure fighter who criticizes, judges or bullies other women in the gym. In return, she retains her position in the hierarchy and the favour of men.
  • The influencer who knowingly partners with gyms and brands led by misogynistic or abusive men. In return, she receives exposure, access, and allyship as well as financial gain, while funnelling her female audience into theirs.
  • The fighter who opts to stay silent about problematic behaviour in the industry. In return, she’s not at risk of upsetting potential sponsors or promoters who could provide her with opportunities to fight for coveted titles or on certain promotions.
  • The authority figure who strategically chooses not to ally herself with feminists or express feminist views in order to maintain good working relationships with anti-feminists in the community. In return, she doesn’t risk losing any business opportunities they might offer.

A woman who overcomes adversity through patriarchal bargaining often thinks other women should do the same, and encourages them not to complain. After all, patriarchal bargaining is safe. The patriarchy offers protection to women who enforce it, but it doesn’t always deliver. At least, not without certain conditions. Still, women who benefit from proximity to patriarchy will always defend it. Sometimes, that means compromising their integrity for their own success for acceptance. This approach can often backfire, as those same men they defend can be quick to drop them when they’re no longer of service to them. As Australian feminist content creator Sommer Tothill once wrote, “making yourself an ally to the patriarchy will not make the patriarchy an ally to you”.

An Instagram post by feminist writer Sommer Tothill that reads 'making yourself an ally to the patriarchy will not make the patriarchy an ally to you'

Girlboss Feminism & White Feminism

“Without confronting internalized sexism women who picked up the feminist banner often betrayed the cause in their interactions with other women”.

bell hooks (Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics)

Just as being a female fighter doesn’t mean you’ll always be supportive or welcoming to other women in the sport, claiming to be a feminist doesn’t mean you’re automatically free of misogyny. Trans-exclusionary radical ‘feminism’ (also known as gender-critical feminism) is a prime example of that, and it’s not the only one.

There’s also girlboss feminism, which focuses on the success of the individual rather than creating change for the collective. It’s a watered-down version of feminism that goes out of its way not to offend men (lest it lose them as allies in its own personal pursuits). It refuses to be political or to question structural, systemic or institutional barriers.

A girlboss feminist seeks to climb the ladder of misogyny rather than dismantle it. She’s not interested in challenging or even questioning systems of oppression, because she’s too invested in protecting her position within them. The allure of this approach lies in the fact that while being the only woman (or one of few) is difficult and isolating, it can also come with the benefit of being seen as special by default. We also see this in those who falsely claim to be the first or only woman to break certain ground while failing to credit or acknowledge the women who came before them. The individual title takes priority over the collective struggle. However, in a sport where women’s contributions are severely underdocumented, it’s easy to make such claims unknowingly.

A girlboss feminist uses the guise of feminism for her own gain while taking actions that are distinctly unfeminist. Her personal brand is reliant upon feminism, but fails to enact or advocate for any real change. Sometimes, it even results in the exploitation or mistreatment of other women. This was the case for Nasty Gal and Girlboss Media founder Sophia Amaruso, who filed for bankruptcy after details emerged of a toxic and abusive working environment where women were fired for getting pregnant; as well Audrey Gelman, who resigned from leading women’s coworking space The Wing amidst claims of mistreatment of women of colour she employed; and Miki Agrawal, the Thinx underwear founder who was forced to leave the company after former employees accused her of sexual harassment. Similar behaviour is sometimes seen from female gym owners who preach about ‘women’s empowerment’ on social media but fail to support women in their own gyms who report sexual misconduct. Some martial arts gyms that brand their classes with the message of ‘fighting gender-based violence’ can fall into the same trap, creating a brand image of supporting women while using victim-blaming language in their promotional posts, and failing to take any actions that would directly support survivors or challenge systematic barriers. Instead of providing any meaningful discourse or even basic resources for survivors, their captions are padded with vague buzzwords and notions that women are responsible for preventing violence against themselves. Such posts can unintentionally perpetuate misconceptions about gender-based violence instead of tackling them.

Often, girlboss feminism means marketing yourself as a feminist, activist or changemaker in order to build a brand image. FauxFeminism.com highlights this in the corporate world, calling out advertising campaigns for using feminism as an empty marketing tool. “Faux-feminism redefines feminism in a dangerous way — diminishing it down to a tagline. Message – without action – creates an illusion of progress in our struggle for women’s rights”, says founder Katie Martell.

Both individual practitioners and collectives like gyms, promotions and associations can play into this shallow practice of feminism, claiming to champion the rights of female fighters while failing to stand up when it counts, or even committing acts that are harmful to women. Some Muay Thai brands also strategically use female fighters in their advertising, but select them based on image alone, and are disparaging to those they deem ‘not attractive enough’. Yet, they’ll capitalize on International Women’s Day each year with a self-congratulatory post, perhaps even providing a special offer or discount code to encourage more women to buy their products.

Koa Beck wrote about the commodification of feminism in her book, White Feminism, which explains how feminist discourse often fails everyone who falls outside of the privileged minority, leaving systems of power intact.

“White feminism takes up politics of power without questioning them, by replicating patterns of white supremacy, capitalistic greed, corporate accession, inhumane labour practices and exploitation, and deeming it empowering for women to practice these tenets as men always have”, she wrote. “White feminism does not ask that institutions or organizational bodies or powerful legislative branches change that much. It’s never been about that. That is why power bodies, for the most part, are ok with white feminism”.

In Hood Feminism, Mikki Kendall also gave a powerful indictment of white feminism, explaining the many ways it fails to show up for women of colour. “White feminism tends to forget that a movement that claims to be for all women has to engage with the obstacles women who are not white face”, she wrote. “It is past time to make the conversation a nuanced, inclusive, and intersectional one that reflects the concerns of all women, not just a privileged few”.

Kendall also explains how those who buy into white feminism often prioritize individual ‘empowerment’ over ethics, and when criticized for unethical conduct or harm caused, repeat the falsehood that intent negates impact. “There’s nothing feminist about having so many resources at your fingertips and choosing to be ignorant. Nothing empowering or enlightening in deciding that intent trumps impact. Especially when the consequences aren’t going to be experienced by you, but will instead be experienced by someone from a marginalized community”. This applies not only to their own culpability, but also to their tendency to be lenient on men in their own circles who commit acts of misogyny or racism. “For white feminism, anyone can claim to be an ally as long as they occasionally do the right thing”, she says, “but the reality is that the performance of allyship is ultimately untrustworthy and useless”. She says that people like these “pay lip service to equality while sustaining and supporting those who actively work against it”, and should instead move towards becoming accomplices by making a real effort to challenge bigotry, especially within their own communities.

While these superficial concepts of feminism might work for those whose main goal is to capitalize on women’s combat sports for personal or commercial gain, further action is needed to create positive change for the community as a whole.

Silhoutte of two women training Muay Thai, sparring in a ring.

Criticise Internalised Misogyny Mindfully

Internalised misogyny is a difficult topic to discuss without playing into the sexist tropes that women are inherently ‘catty’ or even ‘their own worst enemies’. But by buying into these ideas, we scapegoat other women when we should be focusing on the power structures that bring internalised misogyny into existence.

At the same time, while the patriarchy is the common opposition, women are not immune from criticism for the roles we can play in enforcing it. Such criticism is easily dismissed as ‘tearing down other women’, even when it’s simply upholding the standards that drive progress for all of us. During these discussions, it’s important to note that there are many reasons why a woman may not have the privilege of making a ‘feminist choice’, and while you might be able to criticise someone for their choices, you can’t criticise them for the options they’re presented with.

Break the Cycle

Freeing ourselves from internalised misogyny is a lifelong process of learning and unlearning. Many of us are in different stages of that process, all with our own progress to make. This was explained by bell hooks in Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center.

“Women must begin the work of feminist reorganization with the understanding that we have all (irrespective of race, sex, or class) acted in complicity with the existing oppressive system. We all need to make a conscious break with the system. Some of us make this break sooner than others. The compassion we extend to ourselves, the recognition that our change in consciousness and action has been a process, must characterize our approach to those individuals who are politically unconscious. We cannot motivate them to join feminist struggle by asserting a political superiority that makes the movement just another oppressive hierarchy.”

 — bell hooks (Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center)

We’re all raised in a sexist society and surrounded by the pressures of misogyny, so it’s inevitable that sexist ideas that insecurities that come with them would infiltrate the mindsets of women. But while we can’t help the way we’ve been socialised, we can challenge the internalised misogyny we’ve been taught, and stop ourselves from projecting it onto others.

See Also: ‘Thoughts on How (Not) to Escape Patriarchy’, an Instagram post by Austrian fighter Jonny Eagle Muay Thai.

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