UK women report rising anger amid sexism and unpaid work burdens
“I rage and I don’t care,” music artist Chess Galea said, describing a shift in how women express frustration as a growing number of women in the UK report feeling angrier than ever. For nearly two decades, more women than men worldwide have reported experiencing daily anger, and the gap has been growing according to reporting.
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Galea used to suppress feelings of anger out of fear of being branded as hysterical or difficult to work with. She pointed to the mental load women carry, everyday sexism, and violence against women as drivers for why people close their mouths. Jennifer Cox, a psychotherapist and co-host of the Women are Mad podcast, started researching anger after noticing physical conditions like migraines, stomach issues, and immune problems in female clients who tried to keep kids on track, manage their mental health, and maintain jobs simultaneously, noted. Cox ran anger processing groups where women let out pent-up feelings tied to an upbringing centered on being polite, kind, thoughtful, and caring while facing expectations to do it all.
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that while almost as many women work as men, women spend nearly an hour longer each day doing unpaid work such as chores or caring responsibilities, reported. Pop culture reflects these changes. Media representations have evolved from characters like Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction or Carrie in Stephen King’s horror classic—traditionally portrayed as unstable and dangerous—to characters positioned as understandable and liberating, observed. Recent cultural touchstones include Lily Allen’s 2025 album West End Girl, which documented her marriage ending, along with songs featuring violent imagery and screams of rage from artists such as Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo, and Chappell Roan. On screen, the 2023 film Barbie showed the iconic doll expressing frustration with her picture-perfect world.
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While Cox views these depictions as helpful and healthy, women acting upon anger in real life often face social penalties. A 2020 study found that women expressing anger at work were seen as less deserving of status and influence, whereas male counterparts were not, detailed. Life coach Yann Dang, who specializes in coaching senior women in male-dominated fields, argues that women who people-please and hide negative emotion can only progress to a certain level on the career ladder. To make it to the top, Dang asserts that women need to rock the boat by harnessing authenticity, building the muscle of standing up for themselves, and using direct language such as stating that something is a hard no.
“We’ve been brought up with this ridiculous ‘good girl’ stuff… indoctrinated in this idea of being good, polite, kind, thoughtful, caring,” Cox said.
Disclaimer: The views and cultural analyses presented in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Information regarding legal disputes or financial data is based on available public records.