Women's Rights & Issues
Related: About this forumOn the nonexistence of a justification for patriarchy
In a previous post, (https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=16673543) I mentioned this fact: that there has been no serious rebuttal to the feminist analysis of social structure on this planet. I can only conclude that there is none. Women exist as a caste, a social class, in all known societies, and there is no reason why this should be so. Preachers to slave holders in the American south used to justify slavery with various snippets from the Old Testament. Since we are supposed to be a secular society, Christian biblical misreadings arent available to prop up sexism.
So, on the premise that there is no justification for sexism, I would like to point out that women have enormous power that they have never used. Some women seem to think that the institution of marriage will fall if they vote differently from their husbands. To the contrary, the institution of marriage only stands because women assent to it. Children are born because women are willing to bear them. Infants are cared for, children schooled, and houses kept because women do this work willingly. Our current economy also cannot function without them. And I have not mentioned the political power women gained with the vote, which has existed potentially since then, but not yet in reality.
Women are the majority of the population, although they have not yet coalesced into a voting bloc. They could. Women are not yet convinced that their sheer numbers constitute decisive power in a democracy. Without their willing participation in the economy, the economy is crippled. Without their willing participation in civilization, there is no civilization.
I think it is time, and past time, for women to put the patriarchy on notice that women are aware, they are watching, and they are displeased with the progress being made on the legality of abortion, on bringing our economy to a skittering skid if not a halt, so we can save a faltering climate. Nature is like women; its not a voting bloc. But it definitely needs one.
I have one idea for how to get this effort under way, which I will suggest in another post.
Delmette2.0
(4,260 posts)We have to out them for what they are, scared of women with equal power and equal control over their bodies and their future.
People seem to think that everyone, men and women are like minded. If a man is in control of anything and treats people terribly then they think anyone is also capable of the terrible things too. They don't want women to treat men like they treat women. It's human nature and the thinking of a bully.
planetc
(8,229 posts)What exactly they're frightened of is a question with several answers. But lots of men aren't bullies, and we need their help in changing society to one that's kind and respectful to all its members. Because many men have never read the books written by the founding mothers of the current wave of feminism, their fears are vague and undefined, and scarier because of that.
demigoddess
(6,674 posts)I was taught in History class that our society in Europe was matriarchal until it was invaded by a patriarchal society and that changed things. The Romans invaded Great Britain and would not speak with the tribal rulers who were female, so the females called their husbands "kings" and let them speak for the ladies. gradually things changed. We need to change them back.