The term “misogyny” is derived from the Ancient Greek word “mīsoguníā” which means hatred towards women. Misogyny has taken shape in multiple forms such as male privilege, patriarchy, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification. The roots of misogyny can be traced back to ancient Greek mythology.
Misogyny over years has evolved as an ideology which has engulfed the society as a smog which diminishes their site to aurora. Great philosophers, socialist, and thinkers of golden era were subdued by roars of male dominant society which narrowed their vision and made them a supporter of patriarchal society. Aristotle who was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist was also a misogynist. He thought of women as a deformity, an incomplete male. He preached that men should always command and women should follow as they are the inferior being created by God. Misogyny at its front had male supporters, but over years, few females also supported the ideology as stated by Sociologist Michael Flood.
Over centuries, women have been suppressed, their rights were neglected as a human being, they were treated as an lower part of the society, and their roles were restricted to household chores and birthing. Prolonged oppression raised many voices and collectively led to a concept of feminism which started the longest movement in history which still continues.
Misogyny: the “law enforcement” branch of patriarchy (contrasted with sexism, the branch of patriarchy concerned with beliefs and attitudes about female people’s inferiority), which involves the sanctioning of feminine gender norm-violations.
Patriarchy: the system in which female people are structurally oppressed on the basis of their sex (whether by male people, or in a way that advantages male people).
Postmodern feminism has two components, i.e., liberal feminism and radical feminism, the former being an individualistic form of feminist theory which focuses on women’s ability to maintain their equality by uplifting themselves in the field of academics, and other domains by which they can make better decisions and attain equal political and legal rights. Radical feminism on the other hand demands drastic reordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts.
The fourth-wave feminism refers to a kind of feminism that began around 2012 which targets sexual harassment, campus sexual harassment, rape culture, workplace discrimination, body shaming, sexist imagery in the media, online misogyny, assault on public transport, and other type of harassment that is associated with the use of social media. The issues which were shocking and horrid like Nirbhaya Delhi Gang Rape, Harvey Weinstein allegations, and Bill Cosby allegations gave birth to campaigns like Everyday Sexism Project, No More Page 3, and the recent #MeToo and Times Up movements, equality and the empowerment of women have become household conversations around the world.
These issues had drawn significant focus and brought legal reforms in issues such as sexual harassment at workplace as many women are employed in private, government, or unorganized sectors. Sexual harassment constitutes a gross violation of human right and women’s right to equality and dignity. It is illegal to harass a person because of their gender and sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Workplace sexual harassment, like other forms of violence, is not harmless.
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