Why Focus on Patriarchy?

All my life I’ve been interested in reading, getting my words right, and pushing back on gender roles. I may not have thought about that last one in systemic terms when I was young, but I knew something was off. My elementary school classes were stratified by ability, so I always understood that girls were more advanced than boys (our “A” class of 35 kids included only seven boys), but that didn’t match the gender role depictions on television or what I learned from watching people around me.

It took decades for me to realize that the system of oppressing women to keep men in charge was deliberately cultivated. When men felt their dominance threatened, they reacted with violence and by reinforcing their own power. And so we find ourselves with hundreds of years of oppression codified by law.

Challenging gender stereotypes comes naturally to me. Some narratives and word choices subtly reinforce the subjugation of women, and those are obvious areas for improvement. I’ve been thinking for a long time about words and phrases that can be shifted for better parity.

Upending the patriarchy is, of course, much more than any particular editing mark or paragraph revision, however. We need to center women’s voices and lived experiences—along with those of other marginalized identities—to plant more progress toward the equitable world we want. Writers can subvert tropes and conventions to disrupt typical narrative patterns. Call out toxic masculinity. Show healthy relationships. Point out double standards. Speak up about the balance of power. Writing has the power to shape perceptions and influence readers—and confronting patriarchal norms eventually leads to culture change.

Join me on a journey to upend the patriarchy.