HOSEI WOMEN - PATRIARCHY

 

I always mention patriarchy and people that have a patriarchal mentality in my articles. This is because most of the injustices women suffer is as a result of patriarchy. Patriarchy is the single most life threatening social disease assaulting the male body and spirit in our nation. Patriarchy is a political-social system that states that males are superior to everyone deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the weak, and to maintain that dominance through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence. 

 
From infancy, male and female children are assigned patriarchal gender roles and are given continual guidance about the ways to best fulfill these roles. They are taught that they could not be and act anyway they wanted. The male and female behaviour has to follow a predetermined, gendered script. The identities of the male and female children are based on patriarchal values and beliefs about gender. A patriarchal thinker need not be a male, most people see men as the problem of patriarchy, but this is not the case. Women can be as wedded to patriarchal thinking and actions as men.

The foundation upon which patriarchy stands are:-
* Blind obedience.
* The repression of all emotions except fear. 
* The destruction of individual will power.
* The repression of thinking whenever it departs from the authority figure's way of thinking.

Patriarchy thinking shapes the values of our culture. We are socialized into this system, females as well as males. Most of us learned patriarchal attitudes in our family of origin, and they were usually taught to us by our mothers. Patriarchy is a system supported by both men and women, even though men receive more rewards from the system. It is not that patriarchy is bad in its entirety, as long as its definition and mode of implementation is altered. I do not have a problem with men being the head of the home. The issue I disagree with about patriarchy is the relegation of women to the status of lesser beings, inferior to their male counterparts.

I disagree with the oppression, repression and subjugation of females. I disagree with the attempt (I use the word 'attempt' because despite all efforts, some women have refused to be hindered by patriarchy in life) to limit the potentials, abilities and talents of women through intimidation, manipulation and outright restrictions. I disagree with the patriarchal attitude of treating the lives of women as less important to the lives of men. I disagree with the double standards and injustices against the girl child and women. I disagree with the imprisonment of the female minds, in an attempt to stop them from attaining the height of their capabilities. I disagree with the partiality and favoritism given to the male child over the female child. I disagree with the violation of the human rights of the girl child and women, no matter the justification for such violations.

As long as men are brainwashed to equate violent domination and abuse of women with privilege, they will have no understanding of the damage done to themselves or to others, and no motivation to change. There are few precious men that are courageously resisting the brainwashing of patriarchy. They remain true to themselves and their conscience. People fear challenging the excesses of patriarchy even as they lack overt awareness that they are fearful, so deeply embedded in our collective unconscious are the rules of patriarchy. 

Until we collectively acknowledge the damage patriarchal mentality causes and the suffering it creates, we will not be able to address abuse, domestic violence and other atrocities as a people. It is time to allow ourselves to be ruled by our conscience, and not by a mentality that destroys the lives of our daughters, nieces, friends, aunties, mothers, grandmothers, neighbours and dear ones.

Life is to be enjoyed and not to be endured!