London-based comedy writer and multitalented creative Ariane shared with Bored Panda what she thinks are the main things that help lead a high-quality life, no matter what gender you might be.

“I think four things are essential for a full life: being true to yourself, being kind to yourself and others, having fun, and working hard to achieve your dreams,” she shared.

“Also, stop caring so much what other people think (you learn this as you get older!). We know we’re on track if we’re happy. Emotional pain signals that we need to change something in our lives,” Ariane explained to us how we can gauge if we’re on the right path in life or if we should consider changing some things.

Bored Panda wanted to get Ariane’s opinion on why some women are still pressured to get married as soon as possible, even in the West, in the 21st century. “Maybe not as soon as possible, but certainly at some point,” she said.

“I felt the pressure so badly, I went and married the wrong guy and regretted it,” Ariane opened up to us.

She also offered a good comeback for when a woman gets asked why she’s not married yet. “I guess the comeback depends on the person asking, but try sighing and joking, ‘I guess I’m just not over your dad!’”

According to comedy writer Ariane, there are still many challenges that women face in this day and age, even in the West. She told us that “there’s still a lot of misogyny” and the sexual assault conviction rate is “shocking.”

“In the UK, only 7% of cases get to court and convictions are only 1.7% when it’s estimated that 95% of perpetrators are guilty. There’s definitely still a lot of work to do,” she said.

Writer and human rights advocate Elizabeth Arif-Fear previously explained to Bored Panda that women still face barriers to entry, sexist attitudes, and harassment because of their gender. This can occur in the workplace, as well as at home. For instance, there’s still the expectation that women ‘should’ be the ones to do the lion’s share of the housework, even if they work full-time jobs.

“If both partners are working full-time then they should be sharing the housework equally. Sadly, research shows that women still do more housework than men even when working. On a practical level, if a couple is committed to an equal level of partnership, drawing up a chore timetable can be useful, as can designating roles by working out who does what based on their likes and strengths,” Elizabeth said.

“These attitudes go beyond chores. They are a symptom of sexism. In such a relationship, both partners are not equal. No woman should be expected to work two full-time jobs—one paid and one at home—while her able-bodied husband sits back and does nothing at home,” the expert said.

“In today’s world, looking after the home and/or children is a full-time job in itself and such work needs to be shared. Families often have to rely on two incomes and women have the right to pursue professional goals—something which their spouse should encourage as part of an equal partnership,” she told us.

“Being financially dependent on a man is not a healthy or safe option. Spouses must be equal in opportunities and shared duties. As working patterns have shifted with the economy in the past decades, outdated sexist attitudes also need to shift. A women’s role is where she wants to be—just like a man’s.”

According to Elizabeth, it’s not a woman’s job to pick up or look after her male relatives. “If she chooses to stay at home as the family is financially able to manage on one wage, that must be the couple’s joint decision. Even then, there must be mutual respect, sharing of responsibility, and a fair equitable division of chores.”