Women have always controlled the world, acting through men.
What stick behind my back? I’m just a weak woman. I have no stick behind my back. You men just want to put women down. You’re such a brute. I should hit you with this stick.
Societies that “oppress” women do so because the women who raise the children in those societies raise them with certain expectations of the roles of females. It’s not the men who cut off women’s clitorises, it’s their mothers and aunts.
Most would regard Orthodox Judaism as a patriarchy, with male-only rabbis making the rules. However, it’s the women of the community who determine who is accepted as a member of that community and who is a pariah. Women almost 100% run the girls’ schools so the attitudes of women are the result of being indoctrinated by women. It’s the women of that community that enforce standards for behavior and dress.
I have a small embroidery business. Walk into any Judaica shop and look at the yarmulkes, skull caps, for young boys. While you may find a handful with sports graphics, most of the embellished yarmulkes are embellished with floral motifs – because Mom is the one who is buying it. Some women in the community operate home businesses selling clothes – it’s hard to find modest enough clothing in major stores. I’ve seen flyers advertising “matching brother-sister outfits”. Like any boy who is old enough to know that he’s a boy want to be dressed like his sister.
