Author, Eleanor Laurie
Designation, Social Affairs Correspondent
Published 1 minute ago
Reading Time: 7 minutes
Music artist Chase Galea used to suppress his anger. She feared that people would call her "over-emotional" or "difficult to work with."
Galia says that from the "mental burden" of remembering and managing all the details of running a household, to discrimination against women in the workplace and, more seriously, violence against women, "we don't realize how much we endure and how often we remain silent."
But now she expresses her anger openly. She says, "If someone makes a lewd comment on me on the street, I express my anger openly. I don't care."
34-year-old Galia is among those women in Britain who say that they feel angrier now than ever before. The number of such women is increasing.
One in five women angrier than before
In the year 2024, one in five women in Britain said that the day before the survey they had felt angry for a large part of the day. In the year 2020, one out of every 10 women had said this.
For nearly two decades, more women than men around the world have said they feel angry every day. This gap between women and men is continuously increasing.
So are women really getting angrier than before? What is the reason for this change? Or is she now talking more openly about her anger than before?
According to psychiatry expert Jennifer Cox, both things are true to some extent. She is a writer and also the host of 'Women Are Mad' podcast.
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He began research on anger when he realized that his female patients' habit of suppressing anger could be the cause of some of their physical problems.
She says, "A similar pattern was visible among the women who came to me. Some had migraines, some had stomach problems and some had problems with muscles, bones or the body's ability to fight diseases. Eventually it became difficult to ignore."
"She was trying to take care of her children, take care of her mental health and somehow do her job as well."
Cox later held group sessions with the women. In these sessions, many women openly expressed their suppressed anger for a long time.
She says, "We have been taught this nonsense since childhood about being a 'good girl'. We have been instilled in us with the idea that we should be good, polite, kind, understanding and considerate of others."
"The biggest change from previous generations is that we are now expected to do everything."
According to Britain's Office for National Statistics, the number of working women is almost equal to that of men. Despite this, women spend about an hour more per day than men on unpaid work such as housework and caring for others.
Apart from this, there is also the "mental burden" of running a household. This is a work which is not visible, but is necessary to run the house properly. Often the responsibility for this also lies with women.
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Now angry women are being presented in the media in a more positive manner than before.
In the past, characters like Alex Forrest from 'Fatal Attraction' were often shown to be mentally unstable and dangerous. This character was played by Glenn Close. Similarly, the character of Sissy Spacek was also shown in Stephen King's famous horror story 'Carrie'.
But now women's anger is being shown as an emotion whose reason can be understood and which can also give them a feeling of freedom.
An example of this is Lily Allen's album 'West End Girl' released in the year 2025. In this she spoke openly about the breakdown of her marriage with actor David Harbour.
Artists such as Charli
Even on screen, in the very successful film 'Barbie' of the year 2023, this famous doll was shown expressing disappointment with her world. His world appears perfect from outside.
Cox says it's helpful and healthy to portray women's anger in this way.
But in real life, when women take any step due to their anger, they may have to pay the price for it in the society.
A 2020 study found that women who expressed anger in the workplace were considered less worthy of higher positions and greater influence. At the same time, such opinion was not formed about the men who expressed anger.
So can women move forward even after expressing their anger at the workplace?
Life coach Yan Dang says this can happen. She trains women working in senior positions in areas where the number of men is high.
He says that women who always try to keep others happy and do not show their displeasure can move up a level in their career. But to reach the highest position, they will have to challenge the established methods.
"When we know the rules, women are very good at learning them. But the rules in the corporate world are completely different," she says.
According to him, it is important to understand how to use your anger in such a way that it does not appear artificial.
'I think we've been angry for a long time'
Dang advises women to use clear and direct language. Such as, "My answer to this is clearly no", "I don't like it" and "I am also disappointed."
She also asks women to get into the habit of standing up for themselves, even if they don't have a fully thought-out answer at the time.
Everyday gender discrimination, as well as persistent threats such as stalking, harassment and domestic violence, are a major reason for women to unite in anger and protest.
Nearly 20 percent of all crimes recorded in England and Wales are related to violence against women and girls. Despite this, complaints of many such crimes are not registered.
According to Galea, she has been able to understand her frustration more clearly after speaking openly to other women about her experience of misogyny in the music world and the sexual assault she experienced.
"I think we've been angry for a long time," she says. "But now because of social media, we can reach out to other women."
proper use of anger
Psychologist Dr Tara Brack also believes that anger has its place.
She says, "The most important thing is that when we get angry, there is something behind it that we care about. Anger tells us something. It gives us the strength to protect ourselves, stand up against injustice, set our boundaries and bring about change."
“But when anger overcomes us or we cause harm to others, it is not good for us.”
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