Ways Ageism Shapes How People View Women Over Time

Hipatia Press research finds that ageism and sexism intersect to create a unique burden for women: as they age, they face more disability, depression, and frailty than men. A global workplace survey by the organization Women of Influence+ revealed 77.8% of women say they’ve experienced age-based discrimination on the job.

Even younger and middle-aged women report bias: in some studies, women are judged as “too young” to be serious or “too old” to be ambitious. Older women additionally feel pressure to look younger: 88% of surveyed women over 50 say they’ve felt pressured to act or appear “just the right age.”

This is about how age affects every phase of a woman’s life, shaping how she is perceived, treated, and valued.

Sexism Compounding Ageism

Women uniquely confront stacked prejudices—sexism throughout their lives and ageism starting earlier and hitting harder than for men. Research shows older women are more likely to suffer disability and depression than men of the same age, which has been linked to the chronic stress of enduring this marginalization.

One study even proposes a construct called Age-related Gendered Diminishment (AGD) to describe the common psychological experience of invisibility and inconsequentiality felt by women post-midlife.

Lifetime Earnings Erosion

The gender pay gap doesn’t disappear; it matures into a retirement wealth gap. Because women’s average lifetime earnings are substantially lower due to unequal pay and time taken for caregiving (the “motherhood penalty”), their retirement savings are severely impacted.

A report found that older women receive only about 80% of the retirement income that older men receive. Women who leave the workforce to care for an elderly relative lose an average of $142,000 in wages and an additional $131,000 in Social Security benefits over their lifetime.

The Workplace Clock

In the corporate world, women’s experience is often viewed as “outdated,” while men’s is seen as “distinguished” or “gravitas.” Roxine Phillips’ 2015 dissertation explores the experiences of women over 50 who face involuntary job loss, a topic under-researched compared to men’s experiences.

The study found that older women encounter age discrimination, organizational practices, technological challenges, and gendered stereotypes in seeking new employment.

Health Penalty of Dismissive Care

Ageism significantly infiltrates healthcare, often leading to neglect or misdiagnosis. Providers sometimes dismiss older women’s legitimate physical symptoms as simply “a part of aging” or emotionally driven, rather than investigating serious conditions. Studies highlight that this ageist attitude can delay crucial diagnoses.

For instance, depressive symptoms in older women and men with depression are linked to different health perceptions, suggesting women are more likely to have their physical complaints minimized.

Cumulative Damage of Microaggressions

Routine, “low-level” ageist comments like jokes about a “senior moment” are not harmless. A large study of US adults aged 50 to 80 found that over 93% reported regularly experiencing at least one form of everyday ageism.

Higher levels of this commonplace ageism are strongly associated with increased risk of poor physical and mental health outcomes, including depressive symptoms and chronic conditions. These microaggressions wear down self-worth by subtly signaling irrelevance.

Frailty Stigma Hits Women Harder

The stereotype of the “frail old woman” isn’t just a cultural cliché; it translates into real, measurable prejudice. Research has shown that perceived age discrimination is independently associated with multidimensional frailty in community-dwelling older adults.

In the cohorts studied, subjects with greater economic difficulties and a higher degree of frailty were more frequently women, indicating that the impact of age discrimination is intertwined with existing socioeconomic and health vulnerabilities.

Silencing of Expertise and Voice

Women with decades of experience are often met with the suspicion that they are “out of touch” or “stuck in their ways.” Their institutional memory and wisdom are devalued, particularly in fast-changing fields like technology. This leads to the silencing of their expertise in professional and social settings.

Their resilience in the face of this—such as women engineers who emphasize life-experience value over trying to look younger—highlights the systemic barriers they must overcome.

Desexualization and Erasure of Desire

Cultural ageism assumes that older bodies are past the point of sexual desirability or relevance. This desexualization is a silent eraser, signaling that women’s worth is tied exclusively to their quickly expiring youth in the mating market.

Research has linked ageism to lower sexual activity and interest in older adults. This bias denies intimacy and a vital part of a woman’s identity, reducing her to a non-entity outside of domestic or familial roles.

Peril of Internalized Ageism

Society’s negative ageist messages are often internalized by women, leading to self-doubt about their competence, worth, and continued relevance. Internalized ageism was the category most strongly associated with the greatest increase in risk of poor health outcomes, including depressive symptoms and chronic health conditions, in a major US study.

This suggests that the battle against ageism must be fought both externally and internally to protect mental well-being.

“No Right Age” Paradox for Women

Age bias doesn’t suddenly appear at 60; it shifts and mutates throughout a woman’s life. Younger women are often judged as inexperienced, middle-aged women are penalized for perceived family responsibilities, and older women face the full force of invisibility.

Meta-analyses show that positive biases peak and then drop sharply with age, confirming that women feel perpetually judged, no matter their chronological age.

Reinforcing Domesticity and Caregiver Bias

The enormous amount of unpaid caregiving women undertake—for children, spouses, and elderly parents—is rarely valued in the professional sphere. Instead of being viewed as evidence of transferable skills, such as complex project management, it often reinforces the stereotype that a woman’s natural, most useful role is in the home.

This bias makes returning to the workforce or changing careers later in life significantly more difficult.

Key Takeaways

• Gendered Ageism: The compounding of sexism and ageism results in a unique “double jeopardy” for women, linked to higher rates of depression and disability.
• Microaggression Harm: Routine, everyday ageist slights are not harmless; they accumulate into measurable negative health outcomes, including chronic illness and depressive symptoms.
• The Retirement Gap: Due to lower lifetime earnings from unequal pay and caregiving breaks, women’s retirement income is about 80% of men’s, leaving them with a precarious financial future.
• The Internal Fight: Internalized ageism—believing society’s negative narrative—is the single greatest predictor of poor health outcomes related to age discrimination.
• The Reclamation: Combating this bias requires a conscious cultural shift to celebrate “eldering” and recognize the immense, accumulated value of a woman’s entire life story, rather than just a fleeting phase of youth.

Disclosure line: This article was developed with the assistance of AI and was subsequently reviewed, revised, and approved by our editorial team.

20 Odd American Traditions That Confuse the Rest of the World

20 Odd American Traditions That Confuse the Rest of the World

It’s no surprise that cultures worldwide have their own unique customs and traditions, but some of America’s most beloved habits can seem downright strange to outsiders.

Many American traditions may seem odd or even bizarre to people from other countries. Here are twenty of the strangest American traditions that confuse the rest of the world.

20 of the Worst American Tourist Attractions, Ranked in Order

20 of the Worst American Tourist Attractions, Ranked in Order

If you’ve found yourself here, it’s likely because you’re on a noble quest for the worst of the worst—the crème de la crème of the most underwhelming and downright disappointing tourist traps America offers. Maybe you’re looking to avoid common pitfalls, or perhaps just a connoisseur of the hilariously bad.

Whatever the reason, here is a list that’s sure to entertain, if not educate. Hold onto the hats and explore the ranking, in sequential order, of the 20 worst American tourist attractions.