Feminism is not just about women.
Patriarchy is not just about men.
Patriarchy 1
Patriarchy is a term used to describes a general structure in which men have power over women. In which power is related to privilege, so men have some level of privilege to which women are not entitled. The term comes from pater or father.
Feminist theorists expanded the definition of patriarchal society to describe a systemic bias against women. Rather than saying that individual men oppressed women, most feminists saw that oppression of women came from the underlying bias of a patriarchal society.
This did not consider how patriarchy relates to men’s lives, as it was assumed men benefited by way of their privilege.
Visionary Feminism now sees patriarchy as a dual system, a system in which men oppress women, and in which men oppress themselves and each other.
Patriarchy is built on a strict set on gender expectations which are applied to children from birth through into adulthood, and which define acceptable behaviours and attitudes for men and women.
Feminism 2
Feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities.
It’s about respecting every women’s diverse experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths, and striving to empower all women to realise their full rights.
It’s about levelling the playing field between genders, and ensuring that women and girls have the same opportunities in life available to boys and men.
Radical Feminism
Radical feminism emphases the patriarchal roots of inequality between men and women, or, more specifically, the social domination of women by men. Radical feminism views patriarchy as dividing societal rights, privileges, and power primarily along the lines of sex, and as a result, oppressing women and privileging men.
Radical feminism opposes existing political and social organization in general because it is inherently tied to patriarchy. Thus, radical feminists tend to be skeptical of political action within the current system and instead tend to focus on culture change that undermines patriarchy and associated hierarchical structures.
notes
1 Napikoski, Linda. "Patriarchal Society According to Feminism." ThoughtCo, Feb. 11, 2021, thoughtco.com/patriarchal-society-feminism-definition-3528978.
2 Lewis, Jone Johnson. "The Core Ideas and Beliefs of Feminism." ThoughtCo, Aug. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/what-is-feminism-3528958.
Woman Celebrating
Some truths
There is no question that patriarchy adversely impacts woman and girls, their opportunities, their lives, and their safety.
There is no doubt that almost invariably this occurs as a result of behaviours and attitudes of the men in their lives, and in society at large.
It is massively important that women (and some men) have demanded, worked, fought, and gradually achieved rights and recognition of their disadvantage in so many fields.
It is shockingly true, and awfully sad that women and girls both in UK and worldwide continue to be disadvantaged, suffer, and even die as a result of the patriarchal system which we all live under - there is still a massive way to go to achieve justice and equality.
It is massively important that men work as 'allies' to support women in challenging patriarchal behaviours and attitudes, and to lovingly challenge men when their behaviours and attitudes are patriarchal and misogynistic.
Feminism and Men
Some more truths
Men are hugely wounded by their patriarchal conditioning. This forces them to comply with a toxic set of expectations. Be a man! And all that goes with this!
Men become the foot-soldiers of patriarchy, enforcing the rules on themselves, other men, women, children, other peoples, our natural world
Men are paid to do this policing with the privileges they experience. The price they pay for this is violence they suffer by denying an emotional self.
Men deserve liberation from this man-box; they absolutely need it, and women need men's liberation to achieve equality themselves.
Feminism has not been concerned with men's issues as there was no recognition that men were disadvantaged, but new understanding shows us this is wrong.
Women have sometimes expressed anger towards men, blaming them when they do not recognise the wounding of men which is behind these patriarchal behaviours and attitudes.
Men have sometimes expressed anger towards women, blaming them for their problems, and feeling criticised - often when these men have not acknowledged the wounds they carry form being raised to be patriarchal men..
Feminism recognises diversity, and demands equality. It's about everyone; how we are each impacted and disadvantaged by gender expectations and and liberation for us all.
The War of the Sexes has encouraged men and women to blame the other gender for their wounding. We are now realising it is the toxic system of patriarchy which devastates both men and women, and which we need to work together to overcome.
Healing men's wounds is therefore crucial for us all!
Liberation for both men and women requires mutual support, and universal opposition to patriarchy.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects the freedom of others” – Nelson Mandela
Co-Liberation is is about ‘power WITH’ each other
and trying to end ‘power OVER’ each other.
