Patriarchy is the domination of males and subordination of females. Patriarchy essentially means that men get to make the final decisions- be it the familial life or politics of State at large. Such an unbalanced power relationship has created and justified social inequalities between males and females. Males continue to enjoy State patronage and access to resources that females do not, it has resulted in repression and oppression of women at the hands of men. What might be reason behind such blatant injustice? It is the patriarchal notion that sustains male dominance over females in all spheres of life. What, then, is the relationship of patriarchy with social inequality? What role does patriarchy play in peddling social inequalities? Although some scholars assert that social inequality has no relationship with patriarchy, in fact a patriarchal society creates social inequalities in educational, political, and economic institutes by restricting avenues for women participation.
Patriarchy is a social structure that concentrates all powers in the hands males, leaving females at the behest of males for everything- from basic needs to economic sustenance. Certain scholars assert that social inequality is a completely independent phenomenon, having no relationship with patriarchy whatsoever. According to structural functionalists, social inequality is inevitable in a society. Davis- Moore theorized that a society rewards those jobs more which are more important for functioning of a society, thereby creating a hierarchal structure and social inequalities. With unequal rewards less people would be willing to take jobs which require years of training and hard work.
Are these scholars right in asserting that social inequality has no relationship with patriarchy? No, they are not. Consider the domain of education. As of right now, males have higher literacy rate than females all over the world, they have access to better schooling institutes, teachers, more freedom in course selection and better opportunities of acquiring higher education. Consider Somalia, according to UNESCO, the women literacy rate is a meagre 25.8pc there. This is because girls are reluctant to go to schools that have become ground zero for male violence over females and teaches a curriculum that supports patriarchy. Hence, educational disparities that exist between males and females are a direct result of patriarchy.
Furthermore, patriarchy also limits space for women participation in the economic sphere. Friedrich Engels in his book "The Origin of the Family", compares the relationship of a husband and wife to that of bourgeoisie and proletariat. He asserts that males keep females dependent on them for economic sustenance, so that women less economic freedom. He further propounds that in industrialized, yet patriarchal societies women are relegated to low paying jobs. This holds extremely true today, women in corporate sectors continue to face glass ceiling, and cannot rise beyond a certain position. Similarly, female athletes earn a meagre proportion of what their male counterparts earn. This economic apartheid between males and females is a result of patriarchal social order.
Moreover, let us consider the realm of politics. How many world leaders today, can you recall as women? Let me answer that for you, your mind probably jumped straight to Jacinda Arden, PM of New Zealand. Beyond her, your mind is shooting blanks. That is because an absolute majority of heads of states and governments today are males. In very few States, women are leading their countries. This political alienation of women has historical roots. It wasn't until 1920 and after a long unrelenting first wave of feminism that women in the US got the right to vote. This political marginalization of women continues till date, where some tribal societies completely bar women from political participation and other societies do not allow women the right to stand for elections. Hence, patriarchy concentrates all political powers in the hands of males, minimizing the role of women in politics.
Lastly, patriarchy relegates women to inferior roles in the religious institutes creating religious inequalities between men and women. The declaration of Sentiments and Grievances written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and passed at the Seneca Falls Convention, 1848 explicitly mentioned women's grievance that they were given inferior roles in churches. Hence, it is patriarchy that accords females inferior roles to males and takes away rights conferred on women by any particular religion.
To conclude, patriarchy and social inequality are twin born. Patriarchy fuels and sustains disparities between men and women in politics, economics and education. Patriarchy restrains women from the opportunities of upwards social mobility. Therefore, in order to grant women equal rights it becomes imperative to dismantle patriarchal structure of the world by raising greater gender awareness among men and uplift women by investing in women centric projects.
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