We live in a country that has based its cultures, traditions and ideals wholly upon the patriarchal system and society. It has not only set a standard for the behavior that is to be expected out of women but has done so for the way in which males are to present themselves to society as well.
Men are taught, since birth, to mask their feelings and emotions because expressing themselves freely and any showcase of their vulnerability apparently makes them “weak” which is a trait that society does not condone in the case of a man. Women, on the contrary, are taught to be more vulnerable. They are taught to be polite, soft spoken and respectful to elders based wholly upon age instead of basing the amount of respect that a person is due to receive upon their behavior and merit.
Girls are made to believe that it is acceptable for men to be rude because that’s how they are supposed to be. Aggressiveness and violence, when received from men or for that matter of fact from boys, are being normalized because society has somehow embedded these qualities in its long list of traits that are to be expected out of males. Showcase of masculinity is acceptable. Toxic masculinity, on the other hand, is not. Masculinity becomes toxic only when it is adopted by a male in order to satisfy the stereotypical needs of the society that we live in; it becomes toxic when it is adopted as a way to “fit in” and to be accepted by those around us.
Patriarchal views suggest that women are politically and socially inferior to men and that they should devote themselves to “feminine” tasks such as bearing children, keeping the household stable and taking care of their families as opposed to liberating them to pursue a career if they wish to and to be economically independent. It makes women see themselves as being weaker than men are and seems to imply that they must be at their mercy while the truth remains that women, when given equal opportunities, can achieve just as much as men are able to and in some cases even more.
The patriarchy, in itself, is also abhorrently toxic. Not only does it set a standard for the behavior that is to be expected out of both, men and women, along with the professions they must pursue and as to what their priorities must be, it also rules out the existence of homosexuality and the LGBTQIA+ community. It advocates resistance to the community as a whole apart from harassing those that are overtly homosexual, transgender, pansexual and asexual. As a matter of fact the reasoning that they provide for their arguments against the community is based completely around religion and the activities that it prohibits.
The patriarchy needs to be brought down; not for the establishment of what we would call a matriarchal society but for that of one where both women and men hold equal rights and opportunities and where the social standing and political power of a person depends not on their sex or gender but on their overall merit. The system needs to change; and we, as the primary stakeholders are capable of bringing the change it needs. This is a battle, ladies and gentlemen; one against the patriarchy and one that is far from being over.
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