Misogyny is a form of hatred and aversion against women, which comes from men. Misogyny is violent and is considered a disease.
Women have been fighting against machismo – and its deconstruction – for years. Among the types of oppression, misogyny is one of the most aggressive forms against women.
Being misogynistic, according to the dictionary, means having hatred and aversion towards women. Even though the problem has been building for years, and has occurred for centuries, the law that guarantees punishment for this crime in Brazil was only approved on April 3, 2018.
Deconstruction is, in principle, a daily task. There are several types of violence against women that confuse us when it comes to giving the right name to the type of transgression. Above all, these concepts must be brought to awareness
Therefore, let’s break down the term to reflect the real role of women in society, and the problems that they all suffer.
History of misogyny
This term, often said and heard lately, was created in Ancient Greece. “Miseó” means “hate” and “gyné” corresponds to “woman”. In other words, misogyny is the aversion and hatred incited against female people.
Despite the existence of the word being very old, it is very difficult to date the beginning of this act. Because the same thing has permeated humanity for centuries.
History, at first, is embedded in a patriarchal system, that is, founded from the beginning on a logic built by men.
Therefore, for several years, women have always been in a society designed and built for men. Consequently, the woman is placed on a lower scale, and submissive, to the male sex.
Many of the attacks suffered are a result of this type of logic, embedded in society. The attitude based on patriarchy leads women to suffer physical, psychological, moral and, mainly, sexual aggression.
Public spaces have been occupied by women over time, through many revolts and demonstrations organized by the union of the female community.
Finally, feminism emerged, a political and philosophical movement fighting for the rights of men and women. And this is how it became possible to walk freely on the street, work, vote, among other functions, which were previously restricted to men.
be misogynistic
Recognizing misogyny as a crime in society is not an easy task. Proof of this is the recent law No. 13,642, introduced in Brazil in April 2018, considering the act as a crime, with the right to punishment.
Another form derived from misogyny, which also had new approval recognized as a hate crime, is feminicide. Law that punishes the murder of women.
A misogynist is a man who harbors feelings of repulsion and propagates hatred against women. This is why the fight against misogyny has been long and arduous, as it is also faced with a construction coming from religious institutions.
In the Bible, the Qur’an and the culture among the people, women’s roles were always portrayed as servants of their fathers, husbands, sons and brothers.
This is why Simone de Beauvoir emphasizes: you are not born a woman, you become one! Fighting misogyny is going against the sexist thoughts cultivated in history.
With each deconstruction, we have a new discovery of what “being a woman” really means. And being a woman is much more than what social standards teach us on a daily basis.
Restoring the appreciation of women
When it comes to misogyny in history, we have had moments when women were valued in society. 35 thousand years ago, there was no distinction in the roles between men and women and everyone helped the community equally.
Prehistory is matriarchal, and in this early period of human development, women were seen as sacred.
The search for an end to misogyny and the valorization of women is, in fact, a way of rescuing culture. As painful as it is, the best way to put an end to this patriarchal system is to occupy the spaces.
Therefore, if you are a woman and dream of being a professional, holding public office, being a politician, being a businesswoman, this is the right path. We all have the right to choose and can move through whatever space we choose.
Relationship between machismo, misogyny and sexism
In principle, there is no secret when it comes to identifying machismo, misogyny or sexism. Both are consolidated on a basis where the depreciation of female people is the main weapon.
And, incredible as it may seem, all the forms of violence above are not only practiced by men. Women educated in this system also perform this role that is so crystallized in society.
Machismo
Basically, machismo is the maximum expression of the superiority of males over females. The machista’s priority is to exalt his own condition of being a man.
This judgment against women can be implemented in different ways. Jokes, for example, are one of the most crystallized forms of prejudice.
Surely, you’ve probably heard things like “a woman’s place is in the kitchen”, or “a woman at the wheel, constant danger”. Yes, these are one of the ways to express an opinion contrary to equal rights between men and women.
In addition, it brings to naturalization the division of functions for each sex. Whatever possible scope you can imagine (economy, culture, family, media, among others) there is always a sexist thought.
Unfortunately, this way of thinking and acting is cultural and it is up to us to raise the issue. All environments are made up of people like this and the daily deconstruction is work for many years to come. Because, in addition to the blatant sexist, we also have the more restrained ones. And these are the hardest to reach and bring reality to light.
Misogyny
The basis of misogyny is, like all others, a form of expression against women. But, unlike machismo, a misogynist is someone who hates the female sex. Psychological studies reveal that this behavior is much deeper than we imagine. Misogyny doesn’t come out of nowhere.
There is a relationship in the malformation of the sexuality of men who have misogynistic attitudes. This unresolved attitude towards oneself, that is, this lack of understanding of oneself, is often revealed through violence. The man who fits this profile tends to be super aggressive when it comes to women. This malformation in identity brings ambiguity in feelings, which can vary between love and hate.
Imagine an animal that feels threatened and its only way to defend itself is to attack. When all the incomprehensible things come to light, the misogynistic man becomes cruel when he behaves towards a woman. But, know that no type of aggression is justifiable and in cases of violence there is always the option of reporting the aggressor and staying away.
Sexism
At one time or another you will hear talk in the media about the salary difference between men and women. This discussion goes far beyond “whether or not to receive more”, because it is a much deeper issue in society. This happens because we are still subject to devaluation and the feeling of male superiority. It is through this behavior that we experience discrimination and reinforce role patterns in society.
For example, women wear pink and boys wear blue. It seems simple, but it originates from the same sexist ideal where women are educated and destined to perform a certain role and men another. When a girl plays with a doll or a small stove, she is automatically being taught that her destiny is to be a mother. In other words, being “at home” and taking care of the children and the house.
Right to choose
There is no right to choose in this form of education. The proof comes when the father says that men who are men don’t play with dolls and if they play, it’s “gay”, “it’s a woman’s thing”. In this way, in addition to reinforcing prejudice against homosexuals, it denotes a negative idea against the image of women.
This thought directly associates “being a woman” with a bad thing. Men don’t do this or that because it’s a woman’s thing, in other words, there is a reduction in being a woman in this thought. The worst thing is that this is the result of a construction that comes from childhood. Therefore, if there was a division of roles performed in society, know that this attitude is a sexist attitude.
Finally, read more about Prejudice, what is it? Definition, characteristics and main types
Sources: Politize, Galileo, Toda Matéria, Dicio, Universa, Meanings, Crumbs, Meaning 2, Galileo 2, Universa 2
Image source: Legislative Assembly of the State of Sergipe, Toda Matéria, Diário do Estado, Iscecta, Politize, JusBrasil, Inscecta 2, Vix
