Written by Riddhima Sen
Gender patriarchy refers to the power dominance asserted by individuals belonging to a particular gender. The stronghold of power is under the control of men in India, whereas countries like Tunisia follow a matriarchal system.
The basic outline of gender patriarchy lies in the very idea of gender itself. Gender refers to the sociological identity of an individual. For example, someone who behaves like a woman will be considered to be a female.
On the contrary, an individual who possesses masculinity, in the Indian context, will be considered as a man. Gender patriarchy depends on the fact that male dominance is prominent in society. In the Early Vedic Age, women scholars like Gargi and Maitreyi were there.
They had a prominent role in the social structure of contemporary society.
However, there were drastic changes in the Later Vedic Age. The dynamic changed drastically. Women were only supposed to assist their husbands during yajnas.
Widow remarriage was not accepted, as they were back in the Early Vedic Age. Patriarchy not only suppresses women but also the third gender. The individuals belonging to the third gender are not even taken into consideration when talking about the segmentation of gender in general.
Transgenders are not allowed to have normal jobs like men and women in general. They need to stand up for themselves and fight for their own rights. Otherwise, they would be trampled upon by the patriarchal society.
Gender patriarchy harms men too, in a detrimental way. In order to keep up the toxic masculine standards, the focus shifts from rational to emotional. Emotions don’t play the quintessential role here.
Patriarchy, thus, can be defined as a system of dominance where power lies in the hands of men. It stifles people to a great extent, destroying peace and harmony, thus conjuring more discord and chaos.