Marching Towards Matriarchy

“The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her.”

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal has been almost perfectly designed to drive matriarchs insane. The revelations coming out about an elite, wealthy cabal of pedophiles sexually abusing children, pubescent girls and young women may just unleash women’s rage to an extent that won’t fit back in the bottle. And then the more extreme accusations of QAnon style murder and cannibalism of babies (you’ve heard the rumors, but how could that be true?) Imagine if we had incontrovertible evidence that it was.

In addition to the Epstein Files, a story about bonobos has been circulating in the feminist social media sphere. True story: A group of 5 bonobo females in a troupe in the Congo brutalized and probably killed a male member of their group who had behaved aggressively toward one of the females’ babies. Bonobo society is matriarchal, females band together to eliminate male violent behavior towards other troupe members. In an analysis of hierarchy, somebody discovered that in bonobo troupes, babies have the highest status.

We currently live in a patriarchy that has existed for at least 5,000 years. Growing up in this system means that we have been immersed in a patriarchal world view since infancy. The beliefs we have inherited from the patriarchy are often framed as natural or divinely determined. Men are inherently superior to women and destined be leaders and decision makers and women are inherently subordinate to men and are designed for domestic roles and nurturing. It is right for men to hold primary power in our society and dominate political leadership, moral authority and control of property.

Since the beginning of the feminist revolution over 170 years ago, with Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s "Declaration of Sentiments," presented at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, women have been questioning assumptions about the natural capacities of men and women. It has been proven again and again that the traditional patriarchal world view of women Is false. Women are not less intelligent than men. There are biological differences between men and women but they do not make us weaker or less capable. Many women may be physically smaller than many men but women are capable of executing every task than men can. As a matter of fact, some of women’s natural capabilities are greater than men’s. Certainly in the area of reproduction, only women’s bodies can create new humans.

The oppression of the old patriarchal order prevented girls from learning how to read and then said they were stupid because they couldn’t read. And yet even against all of this deeply ingrained prejudice, through fortitude and determination, women and other oppressed people all over the world become educated and achieved preeminence in every human endeavor, from sports, to art, to politics and academia. Their subjugation was never based on their own limitations.

Patriarchy and matriarchy are social systems that define the distribution of power and authority in a society. In general, when people think of these two forms, they think of them broadly as men in charge or women in charge. But in actuality, the greatest difference in these two social system are not about gender as much as they are about power structures and value systems. Patriarchy is hierarchical and power, roles and communication flow in a clear, top-down chain of command. It values male privilege, dominance and control and prioritizes aggressive masculine traits and rigid gender roles.

Matriarchy, on the other hand, is relational and emphasizes collaboration, mutual trust and strong interpersonal connections. The power structure is horizontal, egalitarian and decentralized. Matriarchal societies value community well-being, stewardship, and sustainability and are, essentially, egalitarian. They are focused on the well-being and needs of all community members, both men and women, with a special emphasis on the care and nurturing of children.

It’s easy to forget how hard women had to work too get the right to vote. After all, we’ve had it now for over a hundred years, few people alive today were even children then. But it took almost the same amount of time, 72 years, for women to gain the right to vote. Think about it, how exactly did they get the right to vote without the right to vote? They had to convince men to vote for it. The techniques the suffragettes used included many of those familiar from every great protest movement, from speeches and rallies and marches to acts of civil disobedience, including many famous hunger strikes. Women weren’t given the right to vote, they earned it.

And what has been the result of women’s enfranchisement? Our voting led to greater participation in political and public life and profound changes in our society. Women’s voting rights forced political parties to address inhumane social problems with child labor laws, consumer protection, and reproductive rights. Suffrage helped dismantle "coverture" laws, facilitating women's entry into higher education and professional careers. By the 1980’s women began voting at higher rates than men, creating the existing gender gap in politics. Increased political power contributed to legal changes that allowed women to better control their own earnings, property, and civil rights.

There are a number of feminists that I follow on Instagram that present the case for a return to matriarchy. One of the ways women are working to bring this about is by creating decentralized networks of mutual aid, support and communication. For example, there are strong matriarchal elements in the Minneapolis ICE resistance movement, with women and mothers playing a central role and its prioritization of community care, mutual aid, and protection. Because the organization of matriarchy is so different from patriarchal systems, it can exist and be developed and strengthened without a direct confrontation with patriarchy.

We are in the middle of a radical transformation in our civilization. Bedrock cultural assumptions have been rightly challenged So much human potential has been released by the liberation of women that women’s power in our society, despite recent setbacks, is unstoppable. The development of the internet and cellular phone networks have created conditions for the further decentralization of power in our society. Is it possible that our species is naturally evolving from patriarchy to matriarchy?

Cultural is malleable and many of the expected truths of the past centuries have faded away. We now know how fluid and flexible our societies can be. As Angel Slaini, the author of The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Power, says “As daunting as the struggle against patriarchy may feel at times, though, there is nothing in our nature that says we can't live differently. A society made by humans can also be remade by humans.” We create our culture just as much as our culture creates us. Even though we are currently experiencing a backlash to egalitarian principles, is it still possible that we have already passed the tipping point towards a society that prioritizes and supports the well-being of every member? The jury is still out.