You searched for patriarchy hurts men - Page 9 of 90 - Everyday Feminism

Our culture tells us that intimate relationships should be private. On too many occasions, that privacy hides violence and abuse. This infographic not only shares critical statistics, it also provides strategies for recognizing abusive relationship patterns, suggestions/resources for support, and examples of healthy relationship qualities.

People often discuss class as if it’s independent from other forms of oppression. But class is at the heart of feminist work – here are some important points on how.

There’s a whole lot of lingo in social justice circles these days – and if you don’t know all the vocab, you might feel out of the loop. Here’s Marina Watanabe with a handy guide to the basic terminology of feminism.

She was terrified after hearing that sex would hurt. But painful sex is not inevitable – and these are some awful results of saying that it is.

Through my Women’s Studies courses and readings, I’ve come to better understand my abusive boyfriend and what was behind his emotional and physical violence toward me. Most importantly, I was reassured that his actions were not my fault, something that I struggled with during and for a time after the relationship. And it has been such a relief knowing I’m not the only one who has been through this. (Trigger Warning)

I see and fight bigotry on a daily basis, but I’ve always wanted to know why. Why is our structure this way? Why are women singled out for body shame? Why are fat people bullied to the point of suicide? Why have we learned to hate ourselves? How did we get here? We all deserve to live in a world full of truth and acceptance. So allow me to enlighten you.

Young child with a backpack, going to school

Do you know about all the ways students who are children of color, girls, and/or gender nonconforming are disadvantaged in our K-12 schools? Everyone needs to read this to understand how early privilege affects our lives.

More and more people are becoming aware of how horrifically animals are treated, particularly at factory farms, and so are making different purchases. What’s less clear is how animal rights are also a feminist issue since they’re, well, not humans. However, if we open our minds to consider animals, there’s some strong reasons to support that position.

For bisexual people, representations of our identity in the pop culture world seem to fall into one of two categories. The first is absolute erasure: We encounter TV shows, movies, news reports, songs, trends, books, and essays that refuse to acknowledge the existence or validity of bisexuality in any way. On the other hand, the recent…

Conversations about privilege can quickly go wrong, angry, and defensive. Here are a few things to consider before jumping into the conversation around privilege.

Due to patriarchy, our society does not want to acknowledge the frequency and impact of sexual violence directed at boys and men. Because of the misogynist socialization of masculinity, boys are taught to embrace and celebrate their abuse. This leads to years of silent trauma for too many men. Let’s debunk some of these harmful stereotypes and inaccurate myths.

Person looking frustrating while looking at their laptop

Have you noticed the feminist movement’s race problem? You’re not being “divisive” or “too sensitive” if you have – here’s why.

I once was at the United Nations for a conference when one of the white attendees got up and declared that she was organizing a conference on abuse against Muslim and Arab women (they’re not the same thing, but who cares?). She went on and on about how there is no platform for them to talk…

When it comes to addressing domestic abuse and working to eradicate it, feminism has played a critical role. But there’s one area of abuse that doesn’t get enough recognition in the movement: child abuse – especially child abuse committed by women. In order to address it, we need to see the abuse of children for what it is, regardless of the abuser’s gender.

A parent holding their baby

“The Black community’s problem is all those unwed mothers raising kids without father figures!” Everyone from Ben Carson to the media spreads these stereotypes – and here’s why they’re wrong.

“Girls are meaner to each other than guys.” It’s a common stereotype, but is it true? Here’s why we really need to let this one go.

How does essentialist feminism hurt women and feminist causes? Why liberating women by embracing a “true nature” isn’t liberating at all.

“#1: I’m not like other girls.” When the world tells you that you’re inferior, it’s hard not to start believing it – and these phrases can show that you’re internalizing some harmful messages.

Have you made any of these assumptions about what it means to be butch? They’re way too common – and you might not realize how much they recreate patriarchal thinking. It’s time for a reality check.

Three bras – one pink, one powder blue, one taupe – hang on a line by clothes pins

Boobs are great, but forgetting there’s a person behind them is not. As in the case of one reader, there are times when comments on our bodies (yes, even from loved ones) are unwarranted, unnecessary, and marginalizing. And there are painful consequences to objectifying body parts associated with womanhood. To help explain why, here’s what’s not okay about these comments.