With development, we leave behind old norms and practices. Norms that target one gender and benefit the other. Norms that are discriminatory and norms that prevent the growth of society. But is this true? With evolution in every field and culture, many still believe in discriminatory practices. Women are treated badly and unequally in many parts of the world. To state one example, male chauvinism can be picked. A term that saw evolution and change in its meaning. A term that now targets women and shows the viewpoint of men. A viewpoint that is not pleasing at all. It is important to confront these views and challenge them at the same time. To change something, we need to challenge it. For today, we have the term – Male chauvinism.
Definition of the term:
The term chauvinism refers to the belief that (a belief that is held majorly by men) men are above and superior to women in every aspect. It shows biases and prejudice against women. Gender discrimination and male dominance also fall under it. It is one of the reasons for women’s inequality in many fields and a person who holds these beliefs is called a male chauvinist.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a male chauvinist is “ a man who believes that women are naturally less important, intelligent, or able than men, and so does not treat men and women equally”. Male chauvinists humiliate and discourage women in the workplace. They believe that women are born to stay inside the house and work within the four walls of the household. their job is to cook, clean, and fulfill the needs of the men.
From the ancient times, women had to fight for equality and basic necessities. Be it suffrage or equal pay, nothing was served on the plate, unlike men. Not just in developing countries but in developed countries too this problem persists. All crucial and influential posts are held by men. But with time, the story is changing. Now we hear a lot of female influential personalities that are used as examples to encourage other women. Now we see women in every field and every position. Be it sciens or the Olympics. We see women leading missions in the military and ISRO.
Interpretation and Etymology of the term:
The term chauvinism defines the belief in the dominance or superiority of one group over the other. The stronger ruling and dominating the weaker. As per some sources, the term originated in 1840. At that time it meant patriotism and nationalism. That is why the Encyclopaedia Britannica mentioned chauvinism as a form of unreasonable and excessive nationalism and patriotism—blind faith in the glory and excellence of the nation.
According to the scholars, a French soldier named Nicolas Chauvin was injured in the Napoleonic Wars. For that, he received an inadequate pension. After the abdication of Napoleon, Nicolas continued maintaining his Bonapartist belief but this view was unpopular. But his blind devotion to his views and cause kept expanding. Due to the harassment by its enemies and negligence by its counterparts, Chauvin started using this word.
From the original use, the meaning of the word has changed with time and as per use. The word saw a change in its meaning in the 1940s. By the late nineteenth century, the term was defined as the superiority of one race over the other. It was mentioned in the writings of J. Mitchell. Then in 1945, Hannah Arendt described the term as “ Chauvinism is an almost natural product of the national concept as it springs directly from the old idea of the “national mission”.
As for the sexist connotation, the term became popular in the 1960s. As per Wikipedia, for the first time, male chauvinism was mentioned in the play – Till the Day I Die by Clifford Odets.
As time passed, male chauvinism strengthened its grip in different parts of the society and workplace. Let’s have a look at the workplace.
Male chauvinism in the workplace:
From the start, all fields and workplaces were dominated by one single gender that is men. They held all offices and posts. They made decisions for the masses and appointed only men. Women were nowhere to be seen. The female gender was locked inside the four walls and all opportunities were exploited by men. Women had no say in any of this.
These dynamics started changing during the world war 2nd. More and more were deployed in the military. They were called to fight this long-fetched battle. As men left, their positions became vacant. There was no one to fulfill their duties and that’s when women came into the picture. They were employed for the work that was earlier done by men. The balance of the workplace completely shifted from men to women. Women became visible to the world.
After the war ended, men came back. But their place was taken by women. This challenged their dominance and their self-esteem was hurt. Their control over women in the economy and family was over and from here male chauvinism rose in the workplace. As men came back, they took away the jobs and employment of women. they took hold of all influential positions and from here division of labour was created. Women were given jobs that had little or no work and that too with zero power in their hands.
How to identify a male chauvinist:
- A person who lacks empathy and stereotypes gender roles.
- Someone who makes negative and derogatory comments about women.
- One who exhibits unequal, dismissive, disrespectful, or controlling, behavior
- Those who treat successful and educated women as unworthy.
- Sexist behavior is an indication.
- Someone who believes that women belong in the kitchen.
One should not forget the fact that there are women who support this male chauvinism. But at the same time, we must fight against such dominance to build a positive and healthy society. We are equals. Nobody is below or above. We all need to come together and fight this battle against domination and inequality because today it is women but tomorrow it could be you too.
