denigrating

It is obvious that women and men are still treated unequally, even in our supposedly progressive Western world.
Apart from the difference in opportunities and rewards, the difference in respect is also striking.
For instance, women are much more often than men, even in a professional environment, called by their first name unasked. And they are also ignored and interrupted much more often.
And only women are asked, with semi-concern, how they think they can combine it with ‘home’, if they pursue a job with a lot of responsibility.
Furthermore, it is striking that diminutives are used for women much more often than for men. Adult women are often called girls (the Dutch word ‘meisje’ means both ‘girl’ and ‘little girl’), whereas adult men are not often called boys (let alone little boys).
And don’t get me started on all the ways women denigrate their own sex! Many of them don’t even need men for that.
During my first marriage – somewhere in the Middle Ages – my ex-husband often called me (little) girl during arguments. In response, I would call him little boy.
He got furious about that. Understandably, so did I.