Inequality within a relationship does not cost men as much as women, because they are cushioned by a broader system of male privilege.

‘For young women, having less power in a relationship is associated with diminished intimacy and stability and comes with greater risk of abuse.’

Bay-Cheng says the dynamics underneath relationships require
scrutiny and the often-heard claim that girls and women have reached and
in some ways surpassed equality with men unravels quickly when examined
in detail.





"We have to look closely at relationships and experiences and stop taking surface indicators as proof of gender equality," says Bay-Cheng. "When men are subordinate in a relationship, it doesn’t bother them very much. They don’t see those relationships as less intimate or stable than relationships in which they are dominant. But for young women, having less power in a relationship is associated with diminished intimacy and stability and comes with greater risk of abuse.
"Inequality within a relationship doesn’t cost men as much because they are still cushioned by a broader system of male privilege."
"It’s so important that we understand that it’s not that sex and relationships are at the root of risk or vulnerability. Instead, some young women, because of intersecting forms of oppression - especially misogyny, racism and economic injustice - enter relationships and are already at a disadvantage," says Bay-Cheng. "For young women, relationships are where all different forms of vulnerability and injustice converge."
Bay-Cheng developed a novel research method for this study that considered both the objectives of researchers and participants’ experience, which, she says, is as important as the findings.
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The result is a more meaningful measure for researchers and participants.
Source-Eurekalert