There is no doubt that women have been reduced to minor players given the disproportionately larger role they play in reproduction. The time and energy spent on gestation, birth and nursing, in addition to the protective instincts that bind a woman to her offspring, are clear obstacles to a woman’s ability to partake in the bigger picture.
The more harrowing obstacle to women, however, continue to be men. Throughout evolution, the male has sought access to reproductive opportunities by dominance. Humans make no exception. Controlling women’s reproductive potential has been crucial to men’s hunger for dominance whether in peace or in war, through force or flirtation.
Keeping women busy with reproductive efforts not only safeguards the survival of species, clans, cultures, or religions, it also keeps women from challenging men. After all, men already have their hands full fighting each other over resources from money, power, influence to lofty CEO positions and client accounts.
Having had three children of my own was probably the most risky undertaking of my life. While I am grateful for the experience it put me in a position where members of my family - all male with their wives in tow - have behaved as if I was their mommy as well. To this day they whine and complain, they demand and expect and they throw tantrums if I object to their infantile attempts to dominate the scene when, really, I am busy with other things now.
Fred once said that “everyone is afraid” of me. Afraid of what? That I might say no...?
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