Misogyny,sexism,gynophobia

AustralianPrimeMinisterJuliaGillardbecameaglobal onlinesensationwhenshelaunchedhernowfamousattackon OppositionLeaderTonyAbbott,accusinghimofsexismand misogyny.TheYouTubevideohasbeenviewedover2million times,andthespeechreproducedoncountlessnumbersof newsportalsandblogposts.MsGillardsindignationwaswell justified,andherpassionateangerwasaninspirationtowomen allaroundtheworldwhocontinuetosufferfrombeingdiminishedandputdownbymen. Butwhydoesthisstillhappen,inaworldwheremorethanhalfof universitygraduatesarewomen(intheWestatleast),andwheremost majorcountrieshaveorhavehadwomenpoliticalleaders?Howoftendo wefindourselvestalkingaboutmisandrytheequivalentfearorhatredof menonthepartofwomen?(Thewordisnteveninmyspellcheck.)Yet womenholduphalftheskyinthewordsoftheChineseproverb,and maleandfemale,menandwomencomplementandareindispensibleto oneanother.Doesntitseemstrangethatsuchafundamentaldistortionin thewayweperceiveandvalueoneanothershouldhavearisenandwhat doesitmean?

Ononeleveltheanswerliesinthecontinuinginfluenceofpatriarchyandtheunequalpower relationsbetweenmenandwomenstillprevalentevenincountrieslikeAustralia,theUKandthe USAandmostcommentatorsontheincidentanditsrepercussionshavefocusedonmens unwillingnesstoacceptwomenasequalsinthedomainsofpoliticsandbusiness.ButIwanttodiga bitdeeper:whataretherootsofthiscondition,andwhateffectdoesithaveonourconsciousness andthewaywerelatetoeachother? Anthropologistsgenerallyassumethatmostancientcultureswere matriarchalandmatrilineal,sofarascanbeinterpretedfromthefewartefacts thathavesurvivedfromthesefaroffandpreliteratesocieties.Notethat matriarchyshouldntbetakentobethemirrorimageofpatriarchy:whilethe latteralmostalwaysinvolvesanideologyofpossessionanddominationbya rulinggroup,manywouldarguethatancientmatriarchalormatrifocalsocieties weregovernedbyaquintessentiallyfemininevisionofinclusiveness.Inany case,noneofthesesocietiessurvived,andweknowofnoculturesmorerecent thanMinoanCretewhichcouldpossiblybecalledmatriarchal.Ideologiesand practicesofdominanceandpossessionseemeverywheretohaveaccompaniedthetransitiontoa settledandagriculturalwayoflife,withtheemergenceofformalpowerstructuresandofcultural transmissionacrossgenerations. Despitethis,avenerationforthefemaleprincipleinsomeform seemstohavebeenafeatureofalmostallcultures,untilveryrecently. Andthishastypicallyinvolvedseveralfacetsatleastofthefeminine:

theCompassionate,asrepresentedbyGuanYininBuddhism, theMother,asrepresentedbytheHindudeityParvatiorbyMaryinChristianity theSexual,asrepresentedbyAphroditeintheGreekpantheon,orMaryMagdaleneinChristianity. (ThoughitcouldwellbearguedthatMagdalenestandsformalerepressionoffemalesexuality.) InthepolytheisticculturesofAsianreligionsthistraditionhas continuedtothisdaythoughithastobesaidthatitdoesntnecessarilygo withabetterdealforwomen.(Thespiritualtraditiondoesntserveto challengepatriarchalpowerstructures,inotherwords.)However,thegreat religionsoftheWestareallmonotheistic,and,asIpointedoutinlast weekspostaboutBrazil,thethreefacetsoftheChristianGodareallmale liketheProphetMuhammad,alltheprophetsandindeedtheGodoftheOld Testament.InCatholicChristianitysomespaceismadeforthevenerationof thefemaleprinciple(inwhatevereditedformthismaybe),but Protestantismsweptthisawayasidolatryandsuperstition,abeliefwhichhaspersistedintothe postreligiousandpostspiritualculturewhichdominatestodayintheEnglishspeakingworld.And thisculture,unsurprisingly,remainsmaledominatedwithadominancethatsnolongereven temperedbyanyvenerationofthefemaleprinciple,orrecognitionofcomplementarity. Itshouldgowithoutsayingthatgenderisirrelevant toapersonssuitabilityforhighoffice,sowomenlikeJulia Gillard,HillaryClintonandMargaretThatcherhavetaken theirrightfulplacesinthepoliticalarenapurelyasafunction oftheirabilities.YetMargaretThatcher,asthefirstfemale BritishPrimeMinister,broughtnofeminineinclusivenessor nurturingqualitiestothepost;despiteherpromisewhere thereisdivision,tobringharmony,shewasoneofthemost divisivefiguresinrecentBritishhistory.AsforHillaryClinton,sheoperatesin theserviceofanAmericanforeignpolicywhichcontinuestosupportIsraeliaggressioninPalestine andwhichusesdronestokillunarmednoncombatantsincountrieswithwhichtheUSisntatwar. Nothingveryhealingaboutthat. Ultimately,itdiminishesallofustoobliteratefundamental energeticandspiritualdifferencesinthenameofgenderblindness.If womenpoliticiansarenomorethanmenwithovaries,theyredoingusall adisservicepreciselybynotbringingallofthemselvesintotheirworkin theworld.Lifeitself,andallformsofgrowthanddevelopment,comefrom thefusionofmaleandfemaleindynamicbalancewithoneanother,and whatourwoundedplanetneedsnowisamuchstrongeremphasisonthe femininetobalancetheoutofcontrolandsurvivalthreateningleftbrain andmaledominantculturewhichhasruledforthepastmanyhundredyears.Itwilltakemorethan ahandfulofballsywomenpoliticalleaderstobringthatabout.