- How the role of women in society changed over time
By Nivethitha Sivasothy
Historical evidence suggests that around 8,000 years ago (i.e. 6,000 B.C.), humans were living in a matrilineal society, but time, lifestyles, and man’s quest for civilisation highlighted his strength. The theory of survival of the fittest emerged and somehow everybody was convinced men are stronger than women. Men were believed to be physically stronger than women and power was transferred to them. Then, histories, religions, and moral theories were created by men. All the ways to keep women under their control were neatly imposed on generations through the principles man created, and we are still living with them today.
Responsibilities willingly accepted in the course of time became mandatory. It became a major threat to gender equality. From time immemorial, men tended to do all physically strong work. Women were confined to houses and stoves. Human history started being written in tears and blood, so that an individual could portray himself as a hero to ensure their strength and to achieve selfish gains. In these struggles, women lost their individuality and were treated as objects. Men also included women in the order of mud and gold. Her emotions were blunted, her needs ignored, her human rights denied.
Beauty over talent
The woman became a slave. Histories began to suggest that beauty was the basis of female intellectual and heroic deeds, turning all the most talented women in history into beauties. Cleopatra is the best historical proof of that – we remember her for a very wrong reason. She was a capable, clear-eyed sovereign; she understood nine languages; she knew how to build a fleet; suppress an insurrection; control a currency; alleviate a famine. An eminent Roman General vouched for her grasp of military affairs. Even at a time when women rulers were no rarity, she stood out, the sole female of the ancient world to rule alone and play a role in Western affairs. She was incomparably richer than anyone else in the Mediterranean. But we remember her mostly as a beautiful queen. Beauty and the concept behind being beautiful were also created to ensure women were occupied by their looks and nothing beyond.
Man, the peak of evolution, conquered all the creatures born before him and made the world his own. After men became powerful, they became responsible for everything. Women were denied rights in responsibilities that did not require physical strength. Women were considered weak and marginalised even though they did not need physical strength to engage in politics, lead religions, or be leaders. Unable to tolerate oppression, rebellion arose.
Gradually, women started regaining their rights with the help of laws. Feminist theories of equality between men and women began to spread. In the 21st Century, although it is generally believed that men and women are equal and the rights of both are the same by birth, the moral theories and religious concepts that have been created somehow still consider women as objects, inferior to men. It is like an ideology implanted in our genes, unknowingly destabilising equality.
In this way, the anthropology that started with matriarchal society today has gone beyond the theories of patriarchy, female slavery, sexual violence, victim blaming, domestic violence, and extremism. Even today, after all, the fact that morality and the honour of a family are placed on female genitalia is a burden, curse, and oppression that women can’t overcome. This is the situation not only in Sri Lanka but also in developed countries.
If you look at the biography of every woman who has overcome male chauvinism, you will find all the oppressors, the challenges she faced just because she was a woman, and the questions placed on her morality and character. This society wants to somehow suppress women. Men alone cannot be blamed for this; it must be acknowledged that women also do things against women. Society is somehow afraid to overcome the centuries-old lie and accept that all are equal. Here, after every act of violence against women, the victim is criminalised.
It is the woman’s behaviour that is questioned when she is raped or sexually assaulted. It is unconscionably said that the victim herself instigated the crime. Page after page, instructions are given on how a girl should look, dress, behave, and socialise, and if a girl child is born, then how the parents should raise the child. Nobody ever wanted to see girls and women as human, but everybody wanted her to be at home and cover her body to avoid harassment and abuse.
None of us have forgotten the abduction and murder of a nine-year-old girl in March this year. It is a common occurrence in a family living day-to-day to send their children to the nearest shop. When the child who did what many others do but did not return home alive, no concern was shown to catch or punish the culprit. Instead, social media users started doling out advice on how to raise and protect a girl child and cast the parents as guilty. In 2015, four-year-old Seya was abducted and killed as she slept next to her mother. What advice are we going to give in this instance? Should we say no mother should sleep when her child is sleeping?
Family as a starting point
Equality should start within families. In a family, where male and female children are treated equally, inequalities will disappear. When the child of that family faces the world, everyone is seen as equal. Equality is possible only when it is felt that men and women are different only biologically, but have equal feelings and rights. Education is the key to this. Abandoning the written doctrines that enslave women and telling them clearly from childhood what is needed today will make tomorrow equal and safe for all.
Any aptitudes that come at birth are not true aptitudes. We become what we achieve as we grow. Gender is not a privilege. It is the choice of nature. In the early world, women were dominant, and then men retained the throne, while women were enslaved. Even if women fought for their freedom at some point, those struggles continue even today. Maybe someday in the future, matriarchy will return to the pages of history. But what we need is neither a masculine society nor a feminine society. What the history of this world needs is an egalitarian society where men and women are treated as equals.
(The writer is an attorney-at-law who is currently reading for a postgraduate degree. She has worked in Tamil media as well. Her interests are feminism and sociopolitical issues)
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication