Patriarchal Society is Like a Cancer
Enforcing traditional gender roles is the antithesis of equality
Here in the countryside of Germany, there is a summer festival called Schützenfest. It is where the men participate in a shooting competition, and the women are crowned in a court, like your homecoming dance.
There was a mini-Schützenfest at River’s daycare a month ago, where the boys throw balls at cans and knock them down. We thought the girls would be allowed to participate, since this is the 20th century, but they weren’t. My daughter left in tears.
Activities like this that enforce gender roles set equality back, because little girls learn that they aren’t as good as boys.
Men and Violence
In a recent conversation with my partner, we were talking about why we don’t talk to my sister and brother-in-law anymore. I told my daughter and my partner that I might talk to my sister again if she ever left her stupid husband.
My partner asked why I would call my brother-in-law stupid.
I told him that it had to do with arguments that I have had with my brother-in-law about rape, and who is responsible for rape happening.
My BIL is a rape apologist.
In the past I talked to him about how women don’t have equality in our society because we don’t have the right to walk down the street and feel safe the way that men do. Until women can have the same safety and bodily autonomy, there won’t be equality.
80% of violent crimes are committed by men.
According to the National Institute of Health,
The majority of violent crimes are perpetrated by a small number of persistent violent offenders, typically males, characterized by early onset of violent criminality, substance abuse, personality disorders, and nonviolent criminality.
63% of crimes are committed by 1% of the population who reoffends.
This means, we are plagues by men who are committing violence against others. This can be partially due to socialization, and the attitude that ‘boys will be boys.’ Often, women are the victims of these crimes. 1 in 6 American women have been the victim of sexual assault.
According to RAINN,
Millions of women in the United States have experienced rape.
As of 1998, an estimated 17.7 million American women had been victims of attempted or completed rape.5
Young women are especially at risk.
82% of all juvenile victims are female. 90% of adult rape victims are female.6
Females ages 16–19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.3
Women ages 18–24 who are college students are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence. Females of the same age who are not enrolled in college are 4 times more likely.7
These troubling statistics show why a patriarchal society with patriarchal views is negatively affecting so many people. Women’s bodies are viewed as objects for the taking, and men will do anything to possess them.
This means that women in general have a greater cause for fear when they go outside than men do. We aren’t free, we aren’t equal, we aren’t safe.
Until women can walk down the street and feel safe the same way that a man can, there isn’t going to be equality in society. We need to start teaching men and young boys that they will be held accountable for these crimes against women. We need to teach them respect, kindness, and fairness. We need to teach them that women are people and not just bodies.
Women and Politics
Our world political landscape is also skewed toward males being in charge more often. In the United States, we finally had our first female Vice-President and have yet to have a female president. The US Congress is also skewed male, with only about 25% of legislature being female.
This isn’t representative of the population as a whole, where men and women in the population are roughly equal. This means, women don’t have an equal representation in government.
Would having more women in leadership help us worldwide?
According to The Atlantic,
Scholars as well as public figures have suggested that a world run by women would, fundamentally, be a more peaceful and equal one. We ladies, as the stereotype goes (and, actually, as a decent amount of empirical research suggests), tend to be more collaborative in work and leadership, more empathetic, and much, much less violent on an individual level than men
It may not be that women in leadership is the answer, but studies have shown that societies where women are treated equally have better social outcomes.
According to US Embassy,
Engaging women just makes sense. Evidence shows that investments in women’s employment, health, and education are correlated with more successful development outcomes. And experience shows that engaging women as political and social actors can change policy outcomes by making institutions more representative and perform better. As Secretary Clinton has said, “If half of the world’s population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal, and social marginalization, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity is in serious jeopardy. The United States must be an unequivocal and unwavering voice in support of women’s rights in every country, on every continent.”
When women’s rights advance, equality advances. The more we can create an equal society where women’s voices are heard and valued, the more peaceful a society we can create. Women are less violent than men. We are more nurturing. We compromise better.
Advocating equal rights for women and girls worldwide is a cause that still needs attention, even in 2025. Perhaps more so than ever - with all the rights and freedoms that are systematically being taken away! We need to stand side by side with our sister women the world over and keep fighting for our rights. We need to keep fighting for our voices to be heard.
Only then can we create a world where little girls can feel equal to boys and not have to live in constant fear of violence from men.