Oppression of Women in Masculine Based Societies

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Throughout history, many cultures have been heavily masculine based. There are ample examples of power wielding men ruling over women. But how does this affect them? It may come as a surprise, but men have been known to abuse this power. When women are no more than second class citizens at best, and slaves at worst, there are consequences. Men never seem to pay the price for their actions, and women will undoubtedly suffer as a result. This can be found throughout all of human history and literature. As a result of masculine based societies and cultures, women have been unfairly oppressed, as exemplified in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and the play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.
In many masculine based societies, women find themselves in the unfortunate position of enduring the punishments that should go to the men in their lives. In extreme cases, an innocent virgin could lose her life in payment for a crime she did not commit. When the wife of one of the clansmen in Umuofia is murdered at the market, a virgin is given as compensation, and the elders of the village decide that, “the girl should go to Ogbuefi Udo to replace his murdered wife” (Achebe 12). The girl herself was not at fault, but she was used as payment for a crime committed by a man in her village. This practice has occurred in other societies as well. In some cultures, such as in Ancient Assyria, when a woman was raped, the rapist was forced to compensate by handing over his own wife to the husband of his victim to be used however he pleased (Taylor). Women are used as payment for the crimes of men, and they suffer the consequences of uncaring men, like the innocent virgin who was murdered by the people of Umuofia. In masculine based societies, ...

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...he Women Who Violently Perpetuate Oppressive Cultural Practices." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 18 May 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. .
Taylor, Steve. "Why Men Oppress Women." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 30 Aug. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
"The Women of Afghanistan." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 15 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. .

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