It’s not “just in your head”

And science is finally catching up.

Author

The Female Quotient
June 09, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

WHAT’S ON DECK

  • Tell Me More: Sexism leaves scars on women’s brains, causing physical “thinning” 

  • FQ Leaders Spotlight: Randa Stephan, Global Chief Brand & Corporate Strategy Officer, Burson

  • Inside Track: Leaders on the move

  • Dear FQ: Someone on my team goes from super motivated to totally checked out

  • Poll the Pack: We’re overwhelmed. So why aren’t we delegating?

TELL ME MORE

Sexism doesn’t only hold women back. It rewires their brains.

Here's something that should stop you mid-scroll: a global study analyzing more than 7,800 brain scans across 29 countries found that women who experienced sexism (including physical or sexual violence, harassment, belittlement, and patronizing behavior) showed changes in cortical thickness in regions responsible for emotional regulation, resilience, and stress. In other words, chronic stress reshapes biology. When inequality becomes the environment, the brain adapts to survive it. And in countries with greater gender equality, these brain differences were significantly smaller.

Read that again. Inequality doesn't only feel bad, it physically reshapes the brain.

Sexism, of course, isn't one thing. It can include everything from micro-aggressions, the motherhood penalty, the gender pay gap, and invisible labor to gendered expectations, objectification, sexual harassment, and victim-blaming…to name a few. It comes in two distinct forms: hostile and benevolent. Hostile sexism is what most people picture: outright aggression, the belief that women are inferior, and violence. Benevolent sexism is sneakier. Its roots are based on the view that there are distinct gender roles and women are to be “protected.” It might even sound like chivalry. “You ordered a beer and a burger? You're not like other girls.” It's wrapped in niceness, which is exactly what makes it so hard to call out and so corrosive. They’re not saying anything overtly negative, so calling it out makes a woman seem irrational. When it persists, it chips away at a woman’s autonomy. 

A study measured the cardiovascular responses of women exposed to both types. Hostile sexism caused a spike in cardiovascular activity that resolved quickly. Benevolent sexism caused a lower spike but a much longer recovery. That slow simmer is doing serious damage. Research links it to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, internalized sexism, a diminished immune response, and more. The more exposure, the greater the damage.

That same pattern holds with racism. One study found that Black women with greater exposure to racial discrimination showed lower cortical thickness in the cingulate cortex, the brain's hub for emotional regulation and cognitive control. A separate analysis found that chronic racial discrimination predicted higher levels of Alzheimer's-related biomarkers decades later. Black adults are roughly 2x as likely as white adults to develop Alzheimer's or other dementias. Hispanic adults face 1.5x the risk. Researchers are clear that discrimination as a form of chronic stress is a direct contributor to these diseases.

The underlying mechanism for all of this is called neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to rewire itself based on experience. Neuroplasticity can work both ways. When you intentionally focus on the good in your life, your brain literally rewires itself, strengthening neural pathways associated with positive emotions. When a woman goes through life dealing with chronic stress from sexism, racism, or both, it diminishes her brain’s capacity to adapt. Says Nicolas Crossley, it essentially “leaves a scar on their brains.” 

That scar compounds with age. A study compared brain scans of women across U.S. states with varying levels of gender equity. Women in the most gender-biased states showed brains that were biologically nine years older than their actual age. Black women fared worst; the cognitive effects of racism stacked on top of those of sexism. 

And when women go looking for help the medical system often fails them. There is less clinical research on women's health, women’s symptoms are routinely dismissed or chalked up to hormones, and dosing trials have historically been run predominantly on men, which means women are frequently overmedicated. As Emily Goard Jacobs shared, "Pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, menopause: all of these features of women's lives have been largely ignored by science. That's not just detrimental to women's health; it's detrimental to our basic understanding of the brain."

Sexism isn't only a feeling; it is measurable, it is biological, and it is hurting women. The research exists, now we need the urgency to match it.

FQ LEADERS SPOTLIGHT

Troublemakers who don’t fit the mold, and don’t try to

A first-generation Palestinian-American, Randa Stephan is a marketing and communications leader with deep expertise in brand positioning and integrated communications strategy. As Global Chief Brand & Corporate Strategy Officer at Burson, a leading global communications agency, she plays a key role in helping companies navigate today’s complex media landscape where reputation, storytelling, and consumer trust are more important than ever.

What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?

A lot of women receive the “you can have it all” advice. Growing up, I thought it would be easy and attainable. I’ve realized you have to make choices, sacrifices, and trade-offs. It took me a long time to master and accept that.

What’s the best piece of non-obvious career advice you’ve gotten?

The importance of the deliberate pause. We live in a world where so much is instant. As I’ve progressed in my career, I find myself in more high-stakes situations. I put a post-it note on my desktop to remind myself to “just pause.” It’s applicable in all areas of life. In that pause, you can consider other perspectives, think about different stakeholders, generate new ideas, and take a moment to come up with an appropriate response.

My default mode is to react, I don't have a great poker face, and I’m a passionate person. I can't change it, nor do I necessarily want to, but I've learned to lean into my strengths. The pause is a way for me to do that.

What was a heartbeat moment for you in your career?

I didn't have a metaphorical “heartbeat” moment in my career, but a literal one. I had a complicated pregnancy with my twins, and when I was expecting my third child, I assumed it would be different. It wasn’t. Just 24 hours after giving birth, I experienced a post-op hemorrhage and was rushed into emergency surgery. I spent an extended time in the ICU because my heart wasn’t functioning properly. That experience shifted everything.

The questions I was asking myself weren’t about achievement. They weren’t, Did I finish that off-site schedule? They were, Have I made a meaningful impact? Have I contributed to the people and community around me?

As women in the workforce, there’s often a hesitation to ask for what we need, especially as mothers. That moment changed everything for me. I became less apologetic and more clear on my priorities, boundaries, and what actually matters.

I’m the child of two immigrant scientists, and as a first generation kid and a woman, I always felt I had something to prove. That drive never left me, but it was redirected toward purpose and things that really matter.

Who is one person you’d love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey? What advice or lesson did you learn from them?

I would give flowers to Aimee McCammon who was my first manager after graduating college. She was wildly creative, smart, strategic, and a breath of fresh air. I was an assistant account executive on an account management track, and after a few months of working with her, she asked me if I was sure I wanted to pursue account management and not strategy. She recognized a different skill in me that changed the trajectory of my career. 

She taught me to think beyond the task at hand and take ownership of the outcome. It’s the difference between following a process and bringing discipline to your work. Process is checking the boxes. Discipline is stepping back, questioning what’s missing, and adding value. That mindset stayed with me. At any level, in even the smallest moments, you have the opportunity to exceed expectations, and that’s what builds your reputation.

Where have you caused some good trouble in your career?

I feel like I’m just getting started. I’m fortunate to be doing this work at a time when brands are reimagining themselves in the face of disruption. There’s often pressure to move fast and land on answers quickly, which can lead teams to default to the status quo. In addition, so much is guided by feelings, and while it can be great input, it can lead to bias. I challenge our teams to find solutions based on evidence and data. I’m naturally competitive and driven to create work that not only performs, but truly resonates. Challenging the industry in this way is what continues to push me and elevate my craft.

Want to nominate a “Troublemaker” you admire? You can do so here.

INSIDE TRACK

Leaders on the move

  • Shannon Blakely has been named Chief Brand Officer at Ford Motor Company

  • Chrissy Williams has taken on the role of Senior Director of Field Marketing & ABX at StackAdapt

  • Kendall Ostrow has stepped into her new role as an Executive at Creative Artists Agency Creators

  • Mariana O’Kelly is now the first Chief Creative Officer of DonerColle Partners

  • Sylvia Tournery has been appointed President of SEPHORA Collection

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Sydney Kramer of The Female Quotient weighs in:

This is a classic management challenge and it sounds like you’re approaching it thoughtfully instead of jumping to conclusions. You clearly value this person’s work, but the inconsistency is something that needs to be addressed.

Start with a one-on-one conversation focused on the most recent situation. Ask about their process and if they need additional support to perform in a consistent manner. You may uncover things that aren’t immediately visible. Perhaps they were given unclear direction, need help prioritizing, or require additional resources. Reflect on your own actions as well. Is there anything you could be doing to help or mentor them? The goal here isn’t to assign blame. It’s to understand what’s getting in the way and solve for it together.

If things don’t improve, set clear expectations in writing, outline where things have been missed and why it matters, and align on measurable goals for the next few weeks. If they meet those goals, great! Make sure you celebrate the win. If not, it may be time for a more formal conversation.

Uncomfortable situations put your leadership skills to the test. Being open and direct reinforces that you’re invested in their success. You can create the conditions and provide the tools but ultimately, it’s up to them to deliver.

P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.

POLL THE PACK

We’re overwhelmed. So why aren’t we delegating?

In 10 Things I Hate About You, Gabrielle Union’s character Chastity asks, "I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?"

According to a 2024 poll, 37% of employees are so overwhelmed that they find it difficult to perform at their job. That not only affects the employee’s personal and professional life, but it seeps into company culture and impacts the bottom line. 

What’s surprising isn’t the overwhelm, it’s how people respond to it. Most default to making to-do lists or pushing through. Only 6% are delegating. That’s a real issue.

Delegation is about prioritization, trust, and leadership. When people don’t delegate, work bottlenecks, burnout builds, and teams slow down. Being overwhelmed is about how much is on your plate and how you choose to manage it.

Know someone who’s feeling “whelmed”? Send this their way. 💌

Xo,

The FQ

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