No, Your Rights Are Never Guaranteed
Misogyny has been around for a very long time, however the condition of women has had its ups and downs over the centuries.
If some early civilisations, such as the Çatalhöyük and Minoan ones, appear to have been more egalitarian societies, in later ones, such as ancient Greek and Roman societies, women were considered to be inferior beings to men.
In the Middle Ages women, despite not being on the same legal level as men, still enjoyed a fair amount of independence and agency, in particular if we look at those in lower classes. Urban women used to work a variety of jobs, from brewers to smiths to doctors and surgeons. However, from the last century of the Middle Ages onwards, they started to be excluded from most professions and their position in society began to regress rapidly.
While the Renaissance is often celebrated for its advancements in art and science, with its rediscovery of the classical Greek and Roman ideals, it also marked a return to the exclusion of women from public and intellectual life. At the same time, Europe saw the rise of early capitalism and a new gendered division of labor, in which the family became a unit where men provided and women served, further reinforcing patriarchal power. But this was not a smooth transition, it was enforced through violent repression, including the witch hunts.
An estimated ninety thousand people were killed under the accusation of witchcraft. These brutal persecutions, fuelled by superstition, fear and misogyny, mainly targeted women who defied societal norms. Women were forced into a rigid mold and by the 18th century they were expected to be passive, obedient and confined to their domestic life. The witch stereotype of a poor, old, ugly, outspoken woman, often accused of harming children, became so ingrained that still exists today.
To gain the rights and freedom that we can enjoy nowadays in Europe, our predecessors had to fight long and hard. Yet we are still far from defining our societies as fully egalitarian and we are still fighting most of those same stereotypes that got women killed as witches centuries ago.
With my art, I aim to connect us with pivotal moments to initiate reflection, by looking at history with a different point of view. By understanding the past, I hope people will question inherited societal norms and break free from those that don’t align with their values.
Structures, gender roles and behaviours are not “natural orders”, they were created over time by human actions and choices. And if they were made, they can be un-made.
Either for the better or for the worse.
Realising that the system we live in is not fixed is highly empowering. It gives us the awareness that we can’t take anything for granted, but also the agency and confidence to keep moving forward towards a more just future.
Sources:
Wikipedia, Çatalhöyük
Wikipedia, Minoan civilisation
Wikipedia, Renaissance
Martha Gill, Think women have never had it so good? You should take a look at medieval days
Silvia Federici, Caliban and the Witch
Raiders of the Lost Past with Janina Ramirez (BBC), S2E1 - The Minotaur’s Palace, S2E3 - The World’s First City