Women and swearing

This article discusses the history of perceived differences in the use of swear words by men and women.

The Conversation - From 'common scolds' to feminist reclamation: the fraught history of women and swearing in Australia

This article is written by Amanda Laugesen, Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre

Useful quotes from the article:

'Women have had a fraught historical relationship to swearing. Long regarded as guardians of morality and respectability, their use of swear words has been policed and punished in various ways.'

'Swearing today can still be seen as more easily claimed by men than women, but this has slowly shifted.'

'The use of swearing by women in public has been increasingly normalised. Yet women are still more likely to be judged for swearing, which can still be seen as “unladylike”. And for some, the swear words themselves can be problematic with their references to women’s body parts and objectification of women as sex objects.'

'A woman’s swearing can be an act of empowerment.'