More than 8 in 10 women feel ‘unnecessarily’ guilty about everyday things
I’m sorry! Women often tend to apologize. The company Goodiebox commissioned an independent survey, which showed that 83 percent of the women surveyed regularly feel guilty because they fear not meeting societal expectations. The new ‘Non-Apology campaign’ aims to change that and encourage women to say less sorry. You can also contribute to this.
‘Sorry seems to be the hardest word,’ Elton John sang in 1976. But in the meantime, that record has been played gray, and the song seems outdated. In 2021 we use the word ‘sorry’ until boredom then. Goodiebox, an international company that works with subscriptions and monthly boxes with beauty products, wanted to delve into this. It commissioned research agency YouGov to find out how often women feel guilty and why.
According to the study, as many as 83 percent of all women still regularly experience guilt in everyday situations. They apologize when it comes to their careers, looks, relationships, and opinions – the list is endless. Whether they’re too assertive or too nice, don’t have time for friends, wear makeup, or don’t wear makeup, society has made them feel that everything they do is wrong.
The Non-Apology campaign wants to put an end to that needless guilt. “It’s time to celebrate the power of women and break down the prejudices that society defines,” said Sabine Herskind, creative director at Goodiebox. “We not only want to open the discussion but also finally see change. We need to start thinking about how often we as women say sorry and apologize.”
As part of the campaign, Goodiebox made a video with the help of some customers. They tell what they are sometimes embarrassed about. The video reveals many individuals but recognizable feelings of guilt – including the stigmatization of the body and women’s struggle to meet society’s role expectations, as well as the eternal sense of ‘not being good enough’.
The purpose of the video is to encourage women to think about why they say sorry and especially to make ‘non-apologies’ more often and embrace the hashtag #sorrynotsorry. Will you join us?
