Why Some Girls Feel There Should Be No Boys (A Confession from My Girlfriend)

One day, my girlfriend dropped a statement that caught me completely off guard. She said, “Sometimes, I think the world would be better without boys.” It was such a bold thought that I had to ask her what she meant. As she explained, her reasons weren’t just rooted in frustration but in the realities that many women face on a daily basis. And as much as I could have brushed it off, I realized she was voicing feelings that many women might secretly harbor.

Here’s what she shared with me:

1. A World Without Harassment

The first thing she mentioned was how peaceful the world would feel without the constant fear of being harassed. Whether it’s walking down the street, sitting in a café, or even scrolling through social media, there’s an underlying tension that many women face. “If there were no boys,” she said, “I wouldn’t have to worry about catcalling or being followed home at night.”

While not all men engage in such behavior, the unfortunate truth is that many women, including my girlfriend, have experienced unwanted attention that feels invasive. For her, the idea of a world without boys was synonymous with a world where she could move freely without fear or discomfort.

2. Freedom From Societal Pressures

She went on to explain how boys and men often become the benchmark for success, confidence, and even appearance. “We’re constantly being compared to men,” she said. “Whether it’s in the workplace, the gym, or even in relationships, there’s this unspoken rule that we have to measure up to male standards.”

In her mind, a world without boys would be one where women are free from the pressure to compete with or conform to these ideals. They could define their own paths without being told what they should or shouldn’t do based on male-driven norms.

3. The Emotional Labor Burden

Another point she raised was the emotional labor that women often carry in relationships, whether it’s with male partners, friends, or even family members. “We’re always expected to be the ones who fix things, who understand emotions, and who carry the mental load,” she said. “If there were no boys, we wouldn’t have to constantly be the emotional caretakers.”

This weight, which many women feel, is a common frustration. The idea of living in a world where they weren’t burdened with managing other people’s emotions — especially men’s — was, for her, an appealing thought.

4. A Break From Male-Dominated Spaces

We talked about how so many spaces — whether it’s in sports, politics, or even social dynamics — are dominated by men. “There are times when I wish boys didn’t exist just so we could have the space to fully be ourselves,” she said.

She felt that male-dominated environments can be intimidating and stifling for women, making it harder to find their voice or feel confident. Without boys, she imagined a world where women’s voices would take center stage and not have to fight for attention or respect.

5. An End to Gender-Based Violence

Perhaps the most serious point she brought up was the issue of gender-based violence. “Think about how many women would be safer if boys didn’t exist,” she said. “No more abuse, no more domestic violence, no more fear of rape.”

It was a somber moment in our conversation because, sadly, this isn’t a hypothetical for many women. The reality of gender-based violence is all too common, and the idea of a world without boys, to her, symbolized a world free from the threat of male violence.

6. The Complexity of Male-Female Relationships

She admitted that this wasn’t just about feeling anger toward boys, but also about the complexity of relationships between men and women. “Sometimes, it feels like we’d all be better off if we didn’t have to navigate all these complicated dynamics,” she said. “The misunderstandings, the expectations, the disappointments — it would just be simpler.”

This wasn’t her saying that men are inherently bad, but rather that the dynamics between men and women are often fraught with challenges that feel exhausting to navigate. A world without boys, in her mind, meant a break from these complexities.

A Complex Thought Rooted in Real Frustration

Her confession wasn’t about hating boys or men; it was about wanting to live in a world where some of the challenges women face simply didn’t exist. It was about envisioning a life without the burdens that often come with living in a male-dominated world. And while it’s a provocative thought, it reflects a deeper frustration many women feel on a daily basis.

Our conversation opened my eyes to the struggles women experience — struggles that, as a man, I rarely have to think about. It made me realize that while the idea of a world without boys might seem extreme, it’s really a reflection of the need for change. Women, like my girlfriend, aren’t asking for a world without men — they’re asking for a world where they don’t have to carry these burdens.

And that’s a world we should all strive to build.