The Problem with Patriarchy

THIS MONTH marks International Women’s Day (8 March) and reminds us that no matter how negligible the measurable gap between men and women in life becomes, there remains a strong social gap in language when it comes to gender.

Despite our attempts to eradicate this difference, social standards are far more difficult to fracture and rebuild. Take dating. Men who date a lot are considered appealing; women become less attractive with every additional romantic interest. Men in power are authoritative when they make a decision; women are construed as micromanagerial or bossy.

While we are now busy trying to masculinise some terms commonly associated with the fairer sex, they don’t seem to have the same problems adopting our terms. Could it be chauvinism that is nasty, rather than women?