The word ‘patriarchy’ literally translates as ‘the rule of fathers’. That’s right. The father is the head of the household and rules his family with compete sovereignty. His word is final and absolute. Yes. The guy we see mocked in the media, or laughed at in adverts. The one who is seen by many as a second class parent, a clown, a deadbeat or babysitter. The one who has to change his child’s nappy on a toilet seat, as we don’t bother to give him appropriate changing facilities in toilets. But don’t worry about that – this ruler hasn’t even got equal rights. He is second class, quite literally in the eyes of the law, and will feel the full force of the corrupt family courts wrath if custody is to be fought for. And so many of these ‘rulers’ are deprived of the thing they love most in life – their children – by an institutionally sexist system. Meanwhile the mother (who I assume is a slave to this ruler) is championed and loved by society, held up as role models and embraced by her peers. Naturally – this non-ruler has full parental rights, and will almost always win custody when needed. She’ll enjoy far more paid child leave than her ‘ruler’, and will face far less pressure to return to full time work afterward. So who is the ruler of the family in your eyes? Is it time we questioned the very etymological concept of ‘patriarchy’ theory? ~ Sources The Children Act 1989 https://tinyurl.com/42vtaht8 Fathers4Jutice https://tinyurl.com/44zfw6p9 Images by Yagnik Sankhedawala, Pavel Nekoranec and Felix Mittermeier from Unsplash. #fathersrights

2022-06-17