Hag, witch, and crone are the worst words to call a woman over 45, according to new research
A new study has found that hag is the most offensive term for a woman over 45.
Upfront of the release of their new White Paper on menopause in the workplace, DAPS Agency and Perspectus Global polled the nation and found that 58% of women found it the most offensive term for middle-aged women.
And that was followed by witch 42% and crone 39%. Far less, 23%, found the word granny offensive. Over a quarter of British women would be offended to be referred to as a cougar, or MILF.
However, 8% of respondents want to reclaim the words and use them as compliments and 39% of British women would prefer to be referred to as wise than menopausal.
Academic Neuropsychologist Dr. Rachel Taylor reveals that the roots of these now-offensive terms were positive.
“The word crone originally meant ‘old crown’ and was given to the wisest women of the tribe, and is something all females should look forward to. Witch derives from ‘wit’, which means wise and hag comes from ‘hagio’ meaning holy. Crones, hags, and witches frequently were leaders, midwives, and healers in their communities.
“We should be looking to show the positives of menopause. It is a special time, only humans and whales have this built into their evolution; all other female mammals reproduce until they die, whilst menopause means that elders can impart their wisdom to grandchildren, freeing their parents to work. We need to reclaim back to positive connotations: own the crone!.”
92% of British women were unaware of the original meaning of the word crone.
The research discovered that despite this, 43% of UK women over the age of 45 feel unattractive, 32% say they are washed out, and 33% feel unappreciated. More than a quarter, 28% say they feel less respected now they are older and 32% feel invisible.
Half of all middle-aged women in Sheffield, Cardiff, Newcastle, Plymouth, Belfast, and Stoke-On-Trent feel unattractive.
Women in Birmingham would prefer to be thought of as wise elders, while women in Sheffield are the most comfortable with being considered crones.
53% of female respondents said that a man with grey hair is seen as a silver fox while a woman is seen as old and 41% felt there was more ageism directed at women than men. On a positive note, 37% said they know themselves better than ever, and 25% felt that sharing their wisdom would make them feel empowered.
ENDS