How does shame relate to femininity?
Since my childhood, I have been plagued by the feeling of not being good enough. The fact that women are systematically belittled and taken less seriously than men has intensified this sensation. For years, I apologized for almost everything I did or did not say, while simultaneously feeling the need to claim more space and break free from socially accepted mechanisms of oppression.
Feeling shame is completely normal, regardless of gender. However, women tend to feel shame and apologize more frequently, whether it's for their bodies, their success, their single status, or their choice to remain childless. Anika Landsteiner has observed this phenomenon in herself and explores why it happens. Through insightful, personal essays covering all aspects of her life – from work and illness to sexuality and coming to terms with her own history – she reflects on self-worth, boundaries, and her determination not to diminish herself any longer, neither to herself nor to others.
