A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, it was said that a woman’s place is in the home, doing chores, and having babies and it was imperative that they were not allowed to wear shoes so they could not run away from their man. It seems shameful that this sexist, misogynist, discriminatory policy was instituted by men here on Earth to exert their male superiority and dominance because they felt they were entitled to tell women what to do, and this led to the patriarchal structure. Human societies transitioned from egalitarian hunter-gatherer groups to agrarian communities around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Settling down meant acquiring land and resources that required physical defense, often putting physically stronger males in control of security. Property began being passed down the male line, which gradually reduced female autonomy and established patriarchal norms. Men historically held greater economic and social power, creating structural advantages that normalized traditional roles of male dominance and female submissiveness. Laws, religious traditions, and social expectations over centuries formalized these hierarchies, making male authority the default standard in many cultures. A rigid division of labor relegated women to unpaid domestic and reproductive tasks such as child-rearing and maintaining the household, with men dominating public spheres, warfare, and paid labor, this economic dependence further solidified male authority.
Classical Greek philosopher Aristotle described women as inferior, providing ideological justification for male dominance. Major world religions often positioned women as subordinate, reinforcing gender hierarchy. Medieval and early modern interpretations continued to portray women as morally or intellectually weaker. Cultural narratives tied women to domestic roles and men to public authority, making inequality appear natural. During the rise of early agrarian societies, patriarchal systems were tied to property, inheritance, and control over women’s labor and reproduction, and they also restricted women’s rights in marriage, property, and citizenship. The rise of private property drove men to control household production and lineage, and to ensure that land and assets passed strictly to male heirs, this required strict monitoring of female fidelity and sexuality. Early farming communities did not instantly fence off individual plots of land, but agricultural surpluses naturally created private land ownership. The Manishtushu Obelisk carved around 2270–2255 BC has an inscription about the king purchasing property. Institutionalized patriarchy is evident in early legal structures like the Code of Hammurabi written around 1754 BC, classified male headship, restricted female occupations, and severely penalized challenges to male authority.
There is no single cause for the imbalance of power where women were being viewed as subordinate to men, but when you are a minority it is very difficult to gain control. Dominating groups create the foundational rules that naturally restrict the upward mobility of minority groups. Having wealth and assets are necessary ingredients to influence change, and they are critical for getting your message across. Eventually women got tired of being paid less and being told that they had smaller brains and their broader hips made them ideal candidates to bear and raise children. In the 1970s, the women’s movement decided to challenge male dominance in all its forms by targeting systemic inequalities across law, culture, the workplace, and personal relationships, because they were tired of being devalued and considered inferior. The oppression of women needs to end, but globally they earn roughly 16% to 30% less than men and perform over three-quarters of unpaid domestic work. 1 in 3 women face physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes. Women hold only about 10% of top government leadership roles globally, and over half of countries lack consent-based definitions of rape. Women still don’t have control over their own bodies, as male lawmakers have made abortion illegal, and things seem to be getting worse since June 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the federal constitutional right to an abortion.
Written for Reena’s Xploration Challenge #450 where today she gave us two images to ponder, and I chose the one on the left which is shown above.
