Female voters outnumber male voters. In fact, as a percentage, women are more reliable voters. So why is it that we as Americans continue to tolerate policies that negatively affect women? It’s worth exploring that question.
There are several policies that if implemented would make life better and create an equitable society for all, regardless of gender. Women birth our offspring. Historically, they were responsible for rearing the kids and taking care of the home. Patriarchy, or the male structure, codified their roles. Religion and its guiding documents (written by males) made those encoded structures seem divine, or the way things are supposed to be.
Males forced and normalized the subservience of women, and the vast majority of the oppressed adopted the values of the oppressor. This behavior is no different than what occurs with any oppressed group, much like slaves taking on the morals of the masters, and citizens adopting the values of their corrupt rulers.
But there are always those who aren’t fooled by the structures of oppression designed to empower just a few. Unfortunately, many times the staunchest opposers of these liberators are the oppressed themselves. How else to explain that 53 percent of white women voted for a sexist misogynist over likely the most competent person, who happened to be a woman? The structures of indoctrination created by a patriarchal system are the culprit, but enlightened women are shattering that aberration.
Once we destroy patriarchy, policies will change. When Congress refuses to pass sensible family-based laws because it will cost business too much, they’ve missed the point. Society should never adapt to business. It is the responsibility of our enterprises to respond to the needs of the community first.
So far in America, business and politics have been dominated by men with a deficient amount of empathy. They could only see through their own eyes—never attempting to see through the eyes of others, particularly women. As such, politicians adopted policies and laws with a male bias.
Birthing children is a necessary job that men cannot perform. Our laws must reward and not penalize that reality. There must be adjustments made to ensure pregnancies have no impact on women’s career path, period. Will this cost business? Absolutely. But companies do not exist in a vacuum. They are a part of society. Women’s responsibility for birthing has been a subsidy to men since the inception of the family unit.
The patriarchal structure validated by male-written religious doctrines left the rearing of kids mostly to women. Clearly, that structure stymied women who were looking for upward mobility within their organizations. While it’s taboo to critique any one religion for its treatment of women, society must mitigate societal realities in order to ensure that everyone has options. Sensible, gender-neutral family leave is imperative. Additionally, just like K-12 education is codified into law and covered by taxes, we must include childcare for working parents, as well. It evens the playing field and does not penalize families.
The above are just three examples. There are likely dozens more, but this is just for illustrative purposes. So how do we achieve effective policies that support the family? Many give simplistic answers, including saying that more women should run for office. But is that a guarantee? Not necessarily. After all, how effective has Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas been for civil rights? Indoctrination is powerful. And too often, the aggrieved ones do not provide the support necessary to remove themselves from bondage.
If America is to get the change it needs, its politicians must reflect society. Those who govern must look like the country in every respect: gender, race, religion, etc. But to ensure that we take real family values into account, those who most take care of families should play that pivotal role.
Progressive women must put themselves on the line. Only they have the knowledge and authority to direct that necessary societal change—because while others can empathize, they have lived it.
We covered this subject on Politics Done Right here.