Is The Idea Of Patriarchy In Nations Like The UK Outdated? A Fabian Debate
‘The Patriarchy’ has been a mainstay of feminist critiques of societies for decades; and even before that, over the centuries, the idea that men have huge advantages over women was well understood and often discussed. But is it still the case in modern contemporary societies that, simply because they are men, some human beings have advantage over others, who happen to be female?
This was the question I addressed today in a talk for our local Fabian Society. Does patriarchy remain so embedded that we just don’t see it?
You can read this website in the language of your choice via the Google Translate.
In my talk I considered what I have learned from my research, the focus of which for some years has been the economics of female genital mutilation (FGM) and other harmful practices.
In general I approach this testing issue via my understanding of power in its patriarchal forms, which I see as #PatriarchyIncarnate. I choose to ‘follow the money’ because it provides hard evidence about who has influence and who has not.
Employing that perspective, I offered some thoughts on gender inequality variously (and deliberately in no particular order) in a range of current contexts and situations, some of them located in the global north, and some in the global south.
Some ‘random’ facts about women and men
4% directors of UK FTSE 350 are women (in 2021 – will it take another 70 years to gender equity in the UK?)
There have been only 4 UK female genital mutilation prosecutions despite 40 years of UK law forbidding FGM– and only the one woman prosecuted (who also engaged in witchcraft) was found guilty; the 3 men (charged on separate occasions) were found not guilty.
Forced and early marriage CEFM (girls & women) continues in various ways even amongst people who normally live in the UK. (NB not always / ‘only’ in Muslim communities.)
We ostensibly promote ‘education for girls’, but ignore some ‘minority (in the UK) ethnic’ girls whom we, in the UK and globally, fail in terms of schooling.
There have in the past decade been huge hits in the health and caring professions eg to the numbers of school nurses, health visitors, youth workers, ie (mostly women) carers in the state system – and to their incomes.
Roe vs Wade, the entitlement to terminations in the USA, has been overturned, with complex legal, social and economic issues as yet unaddressed. Many states in USA now prohibit terminations – which will mean many women will resort e.g. to back street abortions, or become abandoned mums with children they don’t feel able to support.
There is strong unaddressed evidence of the write-off of older women, as books such as Victoria Smith’s HAGS make only too clear.
In most parts of the globe FGM, FGCS, trans and / or similar ‘surgeries’ occur; and all non-clinically-essential genital ‘cutting’ is patriarchal.
Polygamy is still acceptable or even legal in some communities – so women are disempowered and can’t really inherit men’s wealth (or benefit from many other aspects of independent status – see eg Lesotho).
Western medicine is still often developed and led by men, with a focus on male experience and perspectives.
The TUC says UK gender pay gap is an average of 56 lost days per year; it will take another 30 years to gain gender equity at current rates.
Almost all wars are initiated and fought between men – but women and children are often the main victims; they become refugees, are raped etc.
Most of the media in all parts of the world trivialise and often ignore women and their concerns.
FGM and other harmful practices (such as purdah) damage whole economies; and so does less ‘dramatic’ bias which disenables women
Russian doctors have low pay since more women practice than men; ditto now in the UK. 64% of the UK 2020 entry into medical schools were female. Is it mere coincidence that doctors’ pay overall is dropping significantly?
So there we have it; wherever we look we will see patriarchal influences, societies shaped to benefit powerful men.
But should a white ‘privileged’ woman be involved in some of these issues? (Even one like me, who receives zero income or other ‘benefits’ from my work and these blogposts?) In my view these are issues we should all confront, simply as human beings.
- Yes, the costs of Patriarchy are spread across every part of the globe.
- The position that only activists should be heard is side-stepping the injustice. There is a role too for global politicians, for researchers and for policy-makers.
- It is still sometimes quite dangerous for those most closely involved to challenge much of this inequality of resources and raw power; we can take some of that burden, always showing respect and care for those activists on the front-line.
But mostly we, the wider global community, whether in the global north or south, don’t see the enormously powerful influences shaping patriarchy, day by day.
Is it just too painful / disempowering to understand how little aegis women and even well-intentioned men have? I suspect that that’s the convenient truth for those who hold the power.
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For anyone who wants to see the actual Fabian discussion, this talk is on video here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/j6kLUq3IPkxBgxpAAyjjHAs4OObeFzYHOW7ov5akiaf1KCjcf6XKamM1MKl4FEsy.g8YEmJkkjeT1Zbum
Passcode: 8GXhv@0JThis post was shared on 28 July 2023 by the Women’s UN Report Network (wunrn.com) in a globally distributed email entitled ‘Patriarchy – Men Continue to Have an Advantage, Around the World, Money & Power’.
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Read more about Patriarchy and FGM and Economics.
Your Comments on this topic are welcome.
Please post them in the Reply box which follows these announcements…..
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Books by Hilary Burrage on female genital mutilation
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6684-2740
A free internet version of the book Female Mutilation is available
here.
It is hoped that putting these many global narrations onto the internet will enable people to read them in whatever language they choose.
Hilary has published widely and has contributed two chapters to Routledge International Handbooks:
Female Genital Mutilation and Genital Surgeries: Chapter 33,
in Routledge International Handbook of Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health (2019),
eds Jane M. Ussher, Joan C. Chrisler, Janette Perz
and
FGM Studies: Economics, Public Health, and Societal Well-Being: Chapter 12,
in The Routledge International Handbook on Harmful Cultural Practices (2023),
eds Maria Jaschok, U. H. Ruhina Jesmin, Tobe Levin von Gleichen, Comfort Momoh
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PLEASE NOTE:
The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, which has a primary focus on FGM, is clear that in formal discourse any term other than ‘mutilation’ concedes damagingly to the cultural relativists. ‘FGM’ is therefore the term I use here – though the terms employed may of necessity vary in informal discussion with those who by tradition use alternative vocabulary. See the Feminist Statement on the Naming and Abolition of Female Genital Mutilation, The Bamako Declaration: Female Genital Mutilation Terminology and the debate about Anthr/Apologists on this website.
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This article concerns approaches to the eradication specifically of FGM. I am also categorically opposed to MGM, but that is not the focus of this particular piece, except if in any specifics as discussed above.
Anyone wishing to offer additional comment on more general considerations around male infant and juvenile genital mutilation is asked please to do so via these relevant dedicated threads.
Discussion of the general issues re M/FGM will not be published unless they are posted on these dedicated pages. Thanks.
Hilary Burrage 