Introduction

Society has progressed so much in a way that information and knowledge is

available to everyone. This gives us an opportunity to examine our social and political
conditions in more detail than when information was scarce and limited to only a few
individuals.

Historical accounts show that across time, humans' conception of gender and
sexuality has also changed. Archeological artifacts reveal that in the distant past, during
the dawn of civilizations, human societies have high regard for women. The concept of
the divine feminine (the sacredness of the woman due to her ability to conceive
children) has prevailed, and thus, women are treated equally with men. This makes
societies egalitarian (men in women have equitable power and roles).

However, humans' discovery of paternity (fatherhood' role of the father in

conception), presumably during the Agricultural era, when societies began to establish
communities and tame rear cattle and stocks, have also changed how societies have
viewed women and lie therefrom.

For the longest time thereafter, societies have privileged men over other
genders, mainly because of the preferential given to them in the productive sphere
(world of public work) Women who have been revered due to their ability to conceive
have been viewed as capable only of reproductive affairs (world of the home and
related tasks such as suckling solely the young, child rearing, and home management).
The gender disparity was intensified by the Industrial era when factors were built and
men were preferred because they did not have to hear children for nine months and
because of their perceived physical strength. But how did really the conceptualization of
gender and sexuality change? This lesson tackles movements in history which shows
how men, women, and people of other genders are viewed in human societies.

PATRIARCHY

A close exanimation of our society can lead us to sec the invisible layers of
oppression in our society like patriarchy a system based on the control and oppression
of women wherein they are perceived to be the weaker sex. It is a structure that upholds
male supremacy in the law, at home, in the workplace, and in society.

Patriarchy is from the Greek word Patriarkhes which means “the rule of the
father". It is a social system where men primarily hold power in the political and the
private spheres. This means that in this social system, society is organized and
maintained in a way that men rule over women and their children. In the social, legal,
political, and economic spheres, men are expected to lead while women are expected
to obey and are relegated to house chores, bearing children, and child care.

A patrilineal society often follows a patriarchal society; this means only men can
inherit property and the family name. Women were left with no inheritance and are
expected to marry a man who can support her economically. In fact, women were not
allowed to go to schools, or even vote, because they are viewed as a weaker sex and
should not concern themselves in learning science or politics. Women had to fight for
the right to vote, to go to school, to go to work, and even participate in politics.

Patriarchy is viewed by most Sociologists as a social construct and not as a

biological phenomenon. This is because history proves that in the prehistoric hunter
gatherer tribes and civilization, they prioritized equality of all members, male and
female. History suggests an egalitarian system rather than a patriarchal system. Men
and women contribute to society and they enjoy the same social status.

Friedrich Engels, a German philosopher and sociologist, argues that patriarchy

came about when people started having private property instead of a communal living.
The development in agriculture and domestication of animals led to creating product
surplus which allows people to have private property. As a way to control the excess
wealth generated by these advancements, male dominance was inserted over women
so only the male heir can inherit family wealth.

HISTORICAL VIEWS ON GENDER

Greek

Aristotle, Plato, and other Greek philosophers viewed women as the inferior sex
and are properties of men whose only job was to obey their husbands, hear children,
and take care of the household. They were forbidden to learn philosophy, politics, and
science.

Egypt

Herodotus, a Greek historian, observed the Egyptian civilization citing that

Egyptian women enjoyed higher social status than Greek women because they can
inherit property and engage in trade and politics. However, Greek influence quickly
spread in Egypt through the conquests of Alexander the Great across Asia and Africa.

China
 Confucianism has stringent written rules that dictate how women should conduct
themselves. The written documents titled "Three obediences and four virtues' ' and
"Precepts of women' ' states that women should obey their father, when married she is
to obey her husband, and when widowed she is to obey her son.

Gendered biases in ancient patriarchal societies were very strict, heavily

enforced, and often violent. Imagine not being able to go to school just because you ate
a woman, not being able to express your opinion on important matters even when it
concerns your future, and not being able to say no to any man.

Women have come a long way since the ancient times through the feminist
movement, however, patriarchy has taken on subtle forms of oppression that often go
unnoticed such as

· sexism - prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination based on sex:

· gender pay gap - men earn more than women;

· underrepresentation in politics, military, executive positions, etc;

· rape on women and the stigma making women ashamed to report the crimes

· very conservative expectations on women on how they behave;

· unrealistic depictions of women in fiction, often very sexualized;

· Women do more housework and childcare;

· boys were trained to be leaders while women were trained to do house chores

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Women's liberation movement, women’s movement, or feminism is a continuing

series of social movements that aim to challenge the patriarchal society that creates
these oppressive political structures, beliefs, and practices against women. It started at
different decades in different countries, some are far more advanced in their struggle
while others are still starting a movement. During the 19th and early 20th century, first-
wave feminism spread across the western countries as women demanded for their right
to vote or participate in elections and to be able to legally own property.

In France, Simone de Beauvoir wrote book titled "The Second Sex" in 1949. It
outlined how the patriarchal society disadvantaged women by slowly raising her into
submission and hindering their productivity and happiness by relegating them to
housecleaning. This inspired many women to write and speak their truths, such as Betty
Friedan (The Feminine Mystique, 2963). Kate Millet (Sexual Politics, 1969), and
Germaine Greer (The Female Eunuch, 1970). Beauvoir's book was instrumental in
awakening women about their plight as the "wife-servant" to their husbands in her
famous quote "one is not born, but rather becomes a woman".

Le Mouvenent de Liberation des Femmes or the women’s liberation movement

was formed in Europe and they sought the right to education, right to work, and right to
vote in the 1940s. Later, they also won women's right to decide on their own bodies and
their sexualities. This liberation movement views the intersectionality of economic status
or class to patriarchy.

Inspired by Beauvoir's book, second wave feminism in 1960's through the 80's,
women drew attention to various social and cultural inequalities such as domestic
violence especially marital rape, reproductive rights, wage inequality, and etc. The 90's
gave birth to the 3rd wave and 2017 started the fourth wave. These movements only
show that there is still much to be done for women's rights.

The United Nations reports that women do more work than men because even
when they work at the office, they are still expected to do household tasks. Another
report from UN Women states that "women perform 66 percent of the world's work,
produce 50 percent of the food, but earn 10% of the income and own 1 percent of the
property". This is because in agricultural countries, women participate in making the
produce, but only the father or the male head of the family controls the income.

`To put simply, feminism demands equality. Here are a few salient points that feminism
demands.

1. Women suffrage - women were not allowed to vote before because they were
viewed as irrational and temperamental and therefore, not able to make
rational decisions. This changed after World War I (1914 to 1918) wherein
women were uprooted from the household. They took on jobs and made
significant contributions to their country. Many countries soon started letting
women vote since they can no longer argue that women are "irrational and
temperamental".

2. Equality in politics and society for hundreds of years, women's voices were
silenced, so society must make an effort to restore their rights.
Representation is very important for women, so that their genuine concerns
are heard in politics and in society. Feminist have always criticized that old,
privileged men always make the decisions for women at home and in politics.
 3. Reproductive rights means the woman in control of her body, and she can
decide for herself on what she sees is best for her. Contraception, abortion,
and other reproductive options should he available to women because it is
their body.

4. Domestic violence - such as marital rape and physical abuse are often
dismissed by society as part of a "marriage". Although we have RA 9262 or
Anti Violence Against Women and their Children, our culture still dismiss such
incidents as "away mag-asawa".

5. Sexual harassment and sexual violence The Center for Women's Resources
in the Philippines estimates that one woman or child is raped every hour
mostly by someone they know.

Other rights include the right to divorce their husbands, the right to make decisions on
her pregnancy, equitable wages, and equal employment opportunity.