What is patriarchy? I d say it is the second name of injustice. Injustice and discrimination against women. It is the reason why subjection still prevails over freedom. It is the culprit for hindering the growth and development of women everywhere. This pathetic system is the reason as to why our society is not a free and fair society even today. Yes, patriarchy is the second name of injustice.
Patriarchy is the social system in which males or men hold the prime authority in a social organisation. that means, fathers hold power over their children, men hold power over women, and
over everything else. The very meaning of the term signifies injustice. This term came into existence sometime in 3500 B.C most probably by the greeks or romans. This term originated from the word 'pater' which means father, so the initial meaning of the word is rule of fathers, that is why the family of the father is known as 'paternal'. But this does not mean that patriarchy did not exist before that, patriarchy even existed in the time of the early men, when early men went out for hunting and the early women stayed in the caves and looked after their children. That was the beginning of a social and temperamental barrier between the two sexes. Since then patriarchy has existed in one from or another. Whether you believe in the bible or the theory of evolution, patriarchy is in both of them, talking about the bible, it describes woman as the nurturing and caring mother, and the father as a distant and domineering figure. That was when the concept of fatherhood came in, ''respect thy father'' and that was how the concept of patriarchy or rule os fathers was originated. The Mespotamian age saw the best of patriarchy, it was then when the concept of patriarchy changed completely into something really crude and harsh. The veil system came into existence, women who were veiled were known to be respectable and one who had a man looking after her, either her husband or her father, those who were not veiled were known as public women in a layman's words a prostitute. It was the beginning of an era where freedom was taken away from women, the practice of slavery started and the patriarchal system was ruling the world. As time changed, many revolutions took place, history saw innumerable great women who worked for change not just for equal rights for women but also equal status and equal power. And as we can see, time has changed, women do hold equal power and status and rights as well. But that is not the story everywhere.Even now, many places witness the existence or rather the rule of the patriarchal system, examples- Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Taiwan, Jerusalem. But like always the question is, WHY? Why is equality still struggling against inequality still? Today, women are no different from men, they are excelling in all arenas and are walking beside men in all fields of work, but then why is this rotten system, which ranks women inferior to men still unwilling to perish? Today's women are not like those of olden times, we know our rights, we know or capabilities but still why is injustice against women still happening? Rape, harassment, molestation, female foeticide these all are forms of patriarchy. And these all are happening in today's world. Then how have we changed? how have we progressed? If the same social inferiority complex still exists, then how has the status of women changed? The problem lies in the root of the mind, deep inside women still have that inferiority complex and men their superiority complex. Until and unless this temperament is not completely changed or removed from the minds of people, patriarchy will never end.