From the workplace to pop culture - why how we view women's anger is changing

Music artist Chess Galea used to suppress any feelings of anger, fearing she would be branded as "hysterical" or "difficult to work with".

From the "mental load" women carry to sexism in the workplace or - worse - violence against women, Galea says "we don't realise how much we accept and how much we close our mouths".

But now she says she simply lets it out: "If someone catcalls me in the street, I rage. I don't care."

Galea, 34, is one of an increasing number of women in the UK reporting feeling angrier than ever.

In 2024, one in five British women reported being angry during a lot of the previous day , external , up from one in 10 in 2020.

For nearly two decades, more women than men worldwide have reported experiencing daily anger, and the gap has been growing , external .

So are women actually feeling more anger - and what is driving that shift - or are they just more open about it?

It's a bit of both, suggests psychotherapist Jennifer Cox, author and co-host of the Women are Mad podcast.

She started researching anger after suspecting her female clients' suppression of it was the root cause of some of their physical conditions.

"There was this pattern of women coming in with migraines, stomach issues, musculoskeletal and immune issues. Ultimately it was hard to ignore," she says.

"They were trying to keep their kids on track, look after their mental health and somehow do their job [too]."

Cox later ran group sessions where many women let out pent-up feelings of anger.

"We've been brought up with this ridiculous 'good girl' stuff… indoctrinated in this idea of being good, polite, kind, thoughtful, caring," she says.

"The big change from previous generations is that we are expected to do it all."