Now that March 8, Women’s Day is approaching, we want to delve a little deeper into the psychology of women .

The psychology of women focuses on the study and understanding of the unique psychological experiences that women face throughout their lives. This branch recognizes the importance of specifically addressing issues that affect women’s health. Among these issues, we can find biological, cultural and social factors.

At the same time, it also explores female empowerment, women’s capacity for resilience and seeks to provide a specific framework for adapted psychological treatment and support >. But, let us start at the beginning.
 

The importance of the psychological perspective in female experiences

Addressing female experiences from a psychological point of view is essential due to the unique experiences that women face throughout their lives. Doing so recognizes and validates their uniqueness and allows for a deeper understanding of how different factors can affect women’s mental well-being.

Some of the female experiences we talk about are:

• Influence of gender roles
• Maternity
• Gender discrimination
• Search for balance between responsibilities

If we provide a psychological perspective, we promote gender equality, challenging and highlighting stereotypes and contributing to creating a more just and inclusive society.

The psychological development of women

The psychological development of women is differentiated by different vital stages. These stages, in addition, are strongly influenced by biological and environmental factors (cultural and social).

Childhood and adolescence

During childhood and entering adolescence, girls develop their identity and self-concept. This identity is influenced by socialization and gender roles.

At a biological level, they are experiencing important milestones in cognitive and social development, both at a personal level (language development and selection of interests) and interpersonal (formation of relationships).

Challenges and difficulties

• Cultural and gender

pressures

• Social skills and friendships
• Physical changes
• Academic pressure and management of expectations
• Technology and social networks

Young adults

Young adulthood is understood to be the period between adolescence and maturity, around age 40. At this stage, many women finish their studies or enter the labor market.

Themilestonesthat we can talk about on a psychological level are:

• Making relevant decisions: in studies, independence, responsibilities, etc.
• Relationship development: The formation of intimate relationships or, a little later, doubts about motherhood, can be crucial aspects in a woman’s psychological development.

Challenges and Difficulties

• Career Choices and Work-Life Balance
• Family planning, couple relationships and motherhood
• Social and cultural pressures
• Management of stress, self-image problems and aesthetic pressure
• Financial independence
• Social isolation and problems with social networks

Middle Ages

When making the transition to late adulthood, a series of adjustments occur in the role of women, both at the occupational, family and social level.

During this stage, women reevaluate their goals and achievements, and begin to confront the challenges associated with aging. Emotional and mental health becomes crucial when overcoming these challenges.

Challenges and difficulties

• Empty nest syndrome (children leaving home) and changes in family dynamics
• Anxiety problems about physical and mental health and aging
• Review of roles and self-assessment
• Loss of friends and family
• Financial planning for retirement, management of inheritances and assets
• Adaptation to body changes and capacity for resilience

Old age in women

Once they reach old age, women reflect on their life and legacy, and family and social relationships become much more important. They are also more aware of their health, which can play a significant role in their psychological well-being.

One of the great challenges of old age in women is menopause and its consequent hormonal changes. On many occasions, women focus on maintaining a good quality of life to move forward.

The influence of society on women

Cultural and social expectations play a fundamental role in the formation of feminine psychology, as they affect the way women perceive themselves, relate to each other, and face challenges throughout their lives.

Let’s talk about some of those expectations:

• Gender roles: dictate behaviors and attributes associated with femininity, determining how they believe women should behave. In addition, they often face greater pressure to be conformist and accept pre-established norms.
• Conduct and socialization: Culture and society establish the behavior that is expected of women in different contexts. These “standards” will condition the roles of women in different areas of their lives. For example, the most common thing is that women are expected to play the role of caregiver , which can directly influence the way they relate to each other.
• Beauty expectations: typical of each culture, and even each season, expectations about women’s physical appearance have always been a hot topic. The pressure to meet the standards of the moment and the constant exposure to them contributes to generating self-esteem and self-acceptance problems, which can lead to serious health problems. li>
• Work environment: we could talk about the gender gap, discrimination (especially in pregnant women or women who plan to become mothers), harassment or the general pressure placed on women. li>

Relationships and mental health

On a more personal level, relationships play a crucial role in women’s mental health. However, we want to explore the experience of female relationships a little more:

• Emotional support: Close relationships provide a source of support, and offer us the ability to share our experiences, express emotions, and receive understanding. If relationships are strong, they can also help women deal with difficult situations.
• Influence on self-esteem: A meaningful relationship offers validation and recognition, which contribute to healthy self-esteem. On the other hand, toxic or abusive relationships erode self-esteem and generate mental health problems, so it is important to identify and address them.
• Feeling of connection: Social relationships prevent isolation and increase the feeling of belonging.
• Stress and anxiety: Supportive relationships provide emotional resources to combat stress, while conflictive relationships (mainly those in which there is poor communication or hostility) ), they increase it.

Women and the couple

The quality of the romantic relationship can significantly affect emotional health. Positive, healthy relationships contribute to emotional well-being, while dysfunctional relationships can have adverse effects.

These types of relationships are also essential in motherhood. Emotional and practical support influences adaptation to the demands of parenting and postpartum mental health.

Happy Women’s Day!

We will continue…