ELEFTHEROTYPY, Men’s Rights
| MEN’S RIGHTS |  |
| article by Anna KARAMANOU, MEP of PASOK | 08. 03. 2001 |
When I read Elisabeth Badinter’s book “XY – Male Identity” years ago, I thought it might play a role similar to “The Second Sex” by Simone de Beauvoir. I imagined it would serve as the gospel for a movement aimed at liberating men from the oppressions and constraints imposed by social stereotypes and prejudices regarding masculinity—standards that are responsible for the emotional mutilation and unhappiness of millions of men worldwide, summed up in the famous slogan “men don’t cry.” As is well known, from childhood, men are taught to be strong, aggressive, not to express tenderness, to be tough towards women, polyamorous, and always ready for sex without emotion.
It is certain that the well-known phrase by Simone de Beauvoir applies to men as well: “One is not born a woman, one becomes one,” and, of course, if masculinity is constructed, it can also change. It is therefore surprising that, after so many changes and upheavals brought about by the feminist movement, there has not been a corresponding movement from men to overturn the patriarchal system based on the illusion of male superiority, which places masculinity as an objective goal and supreme value.
“To praise a man, it is enough to tell him that he is a man,” says Pierre Bournié, highlighting the desperate struggle of males to rise to the occasion and their unhappiness when they fail to do so. Günter Grass, when asked what a man is, replies: “a place of suffering… a game of chance… a theater of anguish and despair.”
Such statements from men would have been unthinkable a few decades ago. It seems that as women conquered one male stronghold after another, they destabilized male identity. The crisis is evident. Since women have proven capable of taking on roles beyond those of wife, mother, and homemaker, no one supports the notion that men are the stronger sex anymore. Football fields and arenas of violent confrontations are perhaps the only spaces where male superiority is not challenged.
Throughout the historical trajectory of humanity, the relationship of dominance and power of males over females has been based on the illusion that men are stronger, bolder, more creative, more logical, and more capable of ruling the world. No one dared to question this. During the French Revolution, women who dared to demand equal rights with men were executed. The male gender has always expressed disdain for the women’s emancipation movement and has obstructed their access to the sciences, the arts, paid work, and politics. However, today, the feminist movement throws down the gauntlet to men, inviting them to examine and renew their outdated male identity, even if this entails painful and long processes.
In response to this challenge and invitation for reconciliation and companionship between the two genders, there are already positive reactions. The good news has come first from the USA, the UK, and Australia, with the introduction of men’s studies in universities and the exploration of the struggles that come with the socialization of men. It is well known that there are still tribes on the planet where boys literally undergo torture to be weaned and distanced from their mothers’ skirts.
For several years now, the initiative for these movements has been taken by the Scandinavians, with the Swedes leading the way by prioritizing men’s involvement in the issue of gender equality. To this end, the government funds programs across the country aimed at highlighting the father’s role in the family, combating male violence, promoting parental leave for both parents, and encouraging men to enter professions where women dominate. In 1997, 31% of those taking parental leave were men, whereas in the 1980s, only 5% of men utilized this right.
Beyond this, employers are required to facilitate both women and men in balancing their professional and family obligations. The Swedes argue that in a democratic society, the role of men should be strengthened in promoting gender equality.
For many in Greece, these ideas may seem unrealistic and alien, and as is often the case, modern developments arrive in our country with significant delays. The good thing, however, is that they are arriving!