Why Women Need to Stop Being “Nice” with Amy Remeikis

What if being “nice” isn’t the same as being kind? And what happens when women stop making themselves smaller to keep everyone else comfortable?  This week, Marie Claire Australia Editor Georgie McCourt is joined by political journalist, author and cultural commentator Amy Remeikis to unpack women, power, anger, civility and the pressure to be “good”.  The author of Screw Nice, Amy explores why women are often judged for being direct, angry or emotional, while the same behaviour can be interpreted very differently in men. She discusses the double standards behind labels like “difficult”, the expectation that women make themselves smaller, and why refusing to be compliant can be an act of power.  Amy also shares her own experiences of learning to speak up, including a childhood moment that made her question why the way a woman responds to injustice can become more important than the injustice itself. She explains how she approaches uncomfortable conversations with people whose political views differ from her own, and why asking “why?” can be more productive than immediately shutting down a difficult conversation.  Plus, Amy shares her advice for dealing with being called “emotional”, “hysterical” or “difficult”, why women should stop apologising unless they have actually done something wrong, and how walking away from an argument can sometimes be the most empowering response.  This episode covers:  The politics of being “nice”  Why women are labelled “difficult”  Anger, protest and speaking up  Grace Tame and the policing of women’s behaviour  Double standards for women in leadership  Political disagreement and finding common ground  Gaslighting and emotional dismissal  Why women need to stop apologising for everything  Taking up space and using your power  The difference between being nice and being decent  You can find Amy's book Screw Nice here https://www.hachette.com.au/amy-remeikis/screw-nice Stay up to date with Marie Claire Australia on Instagram @marieclaireau 🎧 Listen to You're Gonna Want to Hear This and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify   👀 Watch and subscribe to You're Gonna Want to Hear This on YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips. https://www.youtube.com/marieclaire Credits:    Host Georgie McCourt    Edited by Helen Smith  Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain  With thanks to our amazing team at Marie Claire   You're Gonna Want to Hear This is a production of Marie Claire and Are Media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.