When it comes to trying to control the universe by suppressing women, is the Taliban any different from American religious and political extremists? The fascist fundamentals are the same. Treating women as second-class citizens in order to wield power, to claim superiority. In the name of so-called religion and a conveniently proclaimed male god.
A pathological patriarchy ensuring women will be silenced, shamed, and persecuted for their gender. Because of egomaniacal men who will not accept the biological fact that only women can give birth. Hence, they try to control the uterus, our reproductive rights, rights to vote, rights to equal education and jobs and compensation. Rights to autonomy, a supposed God-given free will.
Some men seek to prevent available child care to keep women from providing for their families or pursuing their dreams, which might involve more than motherhood. This despite the reality that women are also mocked for raising offspring alone. And what of ongoing attempts to force a women who’s raped to give birth?
How are women under siege treated in the US when they assert themselves, not remaining silent for malicious male torment and tyranny? Ask Anita Hill, ask Christine Blasey Ford. Ask any number of females harassed in the work place, or sexually assaulted as teenagers. How are we treated if we dare to speak truth, to demand and expect violent or predatory men be held accountable for their crimes?
Women are blamed for atrocities of men. The clothes we wear. The jobs we seek in male-dominated fields. Dominated by the patriarchy because women were prevented from education, birth control, child care, or any modicum of respect simply because of their gender, the very DNA that makes them who they are. Human beings.
We’re too sensitive. Too emotional. Too strident. Too aggressive. Too much. Our bodies are nasty when we bleed; we’re whores if impregnated out of wedlock, and even if we aren’t. Women since the dawn of time who stand out and threaten perceived male superiority are labeled whores. By religion, by society, by men. Remind me, who is it that seeks services of these “whores”?
Girls in Kabul are bombed for going to school. Women and girls in the US, once burned at the stake, are now gunned down by men or boys often for simply saying no. While males are deemed troubled—as opposed to psychopathic killers. They had a bad day. They were frustrated at school or at work. A woman laughed at them. The world is being mean to them. Boys will be boys.
Isn’t it telling how men call women they don’t like cunts? Ironically, men also call other men this vile name, or pussies. Derogatory terms used to degrade women, and their bodies. The very reproductive organs men seek to control, and came from. It’s the ultimate misogyny to call men by these insulting labels for female anatomy, and unfortunately women do it too, without realizing they’re playing into patriarchal aims to put down and patronize women.
But when someone is strong, they supposedly have balls, genitals that are actually physically vulnerable, while the female reproductive organ deemed a pussy is far more resilient. And yet, weak men are pussies? Tough men and women have balls? It’s an easily injured ego born of unearned entitlement that’s the very essence of weakness.
And what of our feminine appearance? The Taliban demands covering all but a woman’s eyes. Here, there’s always that male who lashes out by calling us fat, or ugly, because they’re triggered by our presence, our voice, our intellect. They must attack our physicality to demean, because being thin and pretty and silently complacent is their ideal of what they think we should be, despite how they themselves might look. To them, being born male is the be all end all of their entitlement on this planet.
Emphasis in headlines is often on women as victims. She was raped, abused, harassed. The focus is rarely on actions of men, or their accountability. Male behavior is portrayed as passive, lest something appear to be their fault. A woman is raped by a man. Never, a man raped a women. A man brutalized a woman.
We must be the victim. The one to blame, to pity, to shame. While male actions are excusably reactive. We must have done something to cause that poor guy to snap, to attack, to vilify. To murder.
We must have tried to attend school. To say no.
And how dare we exist as the only gender who can give birth?